As Cold Blood Runs
by Fuuraibou
Summary: (Complete Prequel to Eyes of the Beholder) In a short matter of weeks, Leon Kennedy's life will be shattered as he discovers love, hate, fear, and even himself in a struggle for his own life.
1. Is Nothing Sacred?

As Cold Blood Runs:

**As Cold Blood Runs: First of a Three Part Series**

_Note: I do not own or even say I own The Resident Evil Series, although I have added some characters to make things more interesting. I'm not sure if this is exactly following the RE timeline, being I still haven't played Code: Veronica yet. Takes place during and after CV._

_**Chapter 1- Is nothing Sacred?**_

My name is Leon and I've seen enough to drive a normal man insane. But yet I live with it. What am I talking about? I'm talking about things you wouldn't dare dream in your wildest nightmares. I've seen the walking dead...and worse. And to top things off, the woman I loved died in my arms in some damn underground chemical plant. Pretty bad, huh? I thought so. But I made it out alive, nonetheless. And I made it out with Claire Redfield, and a little girl named Sherry, whose father started the whole mess with his G-Virus research. But, there's no need to focus on that right now. Instead, I'll begin after our escape, in New York, where we had recently relocated.

Claire and I sat on a second-hand couch in the little ground-floor apartment we shared with Sherry, who was all ready asleep. We sat arguing on anything and everything we could. But mostly we about Claire's next little endeavor: a trip to Europe to find Chris, her brother.

"Claire, you just can't leave her like this," I stated.

"I wish I didn't have to. It's just...well...my flight leaves in the morning, and there's not a whole lot I can do," she replied, rather coldly.

"Claire, for God's sake, you at least have to say goodbye to her!" I suggested.

"It'll be too hard for me to do," she answered. 

"Dammit, for once think of how hard it will be for her!" I shouted. Apparantly it was enough to wake the dead, figuratively speaking, because Sherry, who sleeps like a rock at night, came stumbling down the hall.

"Leon...Claire...what's going on? I heard shouting, and it scared me," she groaned.

"Sherry, just go back to bed. We'll talk about it in the morning," Claire soothingly said.

"Bullshit. Claire, you can't be telling her that. You need to tell her what's really going on in the morning," I demanded.

"Oh all right. Sherry, I don't know exactly how to say this, but...I'm leaving in the morning for Paris," she sighed.

"Claire, you're not leaving me, are you?" Sherry cried. She ran over and locked her arms around her waist. "Please don't go!"

"Sherry, it's ok. It's only for a couple of weeks. You're going to have to stay with Leon while I'm gone," she added. I was really tired, and I didn't want to hear anymore. 

"Well, I'm going to bed. Claire, we'll continue this in the morning," I yawned, emphasizing _morning_. Claire seemed to approve, because she picked up Sherry, who was nothing but a short little tow-headed 12 year old, and carried her to the small bedroom they had shared. I slipped out of my jeans and into a pair of sweatpants and pulled the hide-a-bed out of the couch. I grabbed the couch cushion that I had used for a pillow for the past 2 months, and crawled onto the bed and covered myself with a sleeping bag. The small living room was dark and silent, so if I wasn't plagued by yet another nightmare, then I should sleep like a rock. I had just nodded off, when I heard footsteps. I sat up and reached for my .50 caliber magnum under the couch, and kept it under the bed. That's when I saw Sherry's small face poke through the doorway. I let loose a sigh of relief and slid the gun back under the couch.

"Leon, do you think that...I can talk to you for a minute?" Sherry asked.

"Yeah, sure. Come over here and sit down," I said. She gingerly stepped over towards me and sat down on my bed. I sat up and put an arm around her. "What's on your mind?"

"It's Claire. I don't want her to leave tomorrow," she whispered.

"Oh, Sherry. I really don't want her to go either, but you know, I really don't think we can keep her from doing anything she chooses not too," I reassured her.

"It's just that...I don't want her to get hurt," she said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can think of something. And if she does go, it's only for a couple of weeks, so I'm pretty sure we'll be fine," I said, attempting to comfort her. She stood up, and walked to the doorway.

"Thanks Leon. You're the best," she said as she stepped down the hall. I layed back and tried to sleep. But I couldn't. What if something did go wrong? What if I never told her how I really felt? I couldn't let something like that happen.

_Daylight_

It always seems to wake me up before I'm damn good and ready. But this morning, instead of being the first one up, Claire was already up, with two suitcases packed.

"Good morning," she timidly said.

"Yeah, I guess," I answered just as timidly.

"Well, I guess it's just about time for me to go," she whispered.

"On that subject, Sherry woke me up last night. She's worried, Claire. You need to say something to her," I advised.

"No need to wake her up over something as trivial as this, Leon. I'm sure you're quite capable of telling her yourself," she replied.

"Speaking of which, who the hell volunteered me to take care of her?" I shouted.

"You know damn good and well that she needs you right now," she shot back.

"She needs you more, Claire! You're the closest thing she has to a mother!" I shouted.

"And you're just as close to being her father! See you in two weeks!" she shouted as she slammed the door. I chased her out the door, but it was too late. She had already flagged down a cab, and was climbing in. She gave me a nasty look as the cab pulled off of the curb.

"Dammit, Claire. I love you," I whispered into the dense fog that surrounded me. Now I felt twice as worse. Claire was gone, and I had failed to keep my promise to Sherry. And she didn't know. Damn, she didn't know.

One week has passed, and it seems like a month. Sherry and I were both mentally ragged, but we were having somewhat of a good time. In fact, my story continues on such an evening, in which Sherry and I were watching the latest installment of Saturday Night Live. Of course, it was as funny as always, and we were sharing a pizza and just kicking back. It was, in fact, one of the best days we shared since Claire had left. But things were about to get interesting.

We were startled by a knock on the door. I stood up, and opened it cautiously. A short man in a black three-piece stood there, holding a large suitcase.

"Leon Kennedy, former officer Racoon PD?" he asked.

"Yeah...who are you?" I fired back.

"Mick Stevens, US Marshalls. I have important buisness to discuss with you about," he said as he walked in and sat down on the couch.

"Yeah...just come on in," I sarcastically said. I turned off the TV and sat down on a small stool in front of Sherry and Marshall Stevens. "Now what is going on?"

"I have a proposition to make. We need you to aid us in a raid of a small Umbrella research facility north of Lansing, Michigan, in a little town called Lebannon. The last remaining G-Virus sample is rumored to be under watch there. Umbrella's facilities are mostly designed the same, and since you infiltrated the Racoon City branch in September, we figured you were the man for the job," he informed. "Also, you'll be teamed with one of our agents named Ark Thompson." Ark? How is Ark involved in this?

"Now wait just a minute. It's been over half a year since Racoon. Why in the hell do you think I remember a damn thing about their facilities?" I asked.

"Listen, Mr. Kennedy. We need your help severely right now. Umbrella has so many damn contacts right now infiltrated in the government it's not even funny. You are our last hope of securing the G-Virus and preventing yet another outbreak," he calmly told me.

"I can't do this. I'm sorry. Sherry's under my care until her guardian gets back. There's nothing I can do until then!" I shouted.

"OK, I'll make this easy for you. Either you agree and accept my reward for your services, or the kid goes back with me and probably won't make it to see 13," he menacingly warned. Sherry gulped and scooted away from Stevens.

"Listen buddy. It doesn't matter if I agree or not. Sherry's not going anywhere," I answered. "And even if I do accept, what's in it for me?" I asked.

"An offshore bank account with oh, I don't know, this much money secured," he enticingly said as he handed me a slip of paper. Oh my God. I had never seen so many zeros!

"Uh...well, you'll have to give me some time. Like I said, I can't do anything until Sherry's guardian returns from Paris. I'll have to get back to you," I gasped.

"No problem. I knew you would see things my way. Here's my card. My office is in the Clarkson Federal Building, downtown. I am assured that you will get back to me?" he gestured as he headed towards the door.

"Yeah, I'll let you know," I answered. He left and slammed the door behind him. Sherry was still trembling on the couch, and I went over and took her into my arms to embrace her. The poor kid was shaking and trembling from that bastard Stevens' threats.

"Sherry, you know that I would not let anything happen to you. We'll be just fine," I said. She was still trembling and crying, so I rocked her in my arms until she fell asleep.

Yet another week. No word from Claire. I continue at about two weeks after she left, while I was actually sleeping. I haven't been able to sleep lately, so it didn't suprise me that I was startled by a voice on the phone. Sherry's voice.

"Yeah, I do too know! Yep, I'm pretty darn sure he does. Well for God's sake all he ever talks about is how much he misses you. OK! See you tomorrow!" _click!_ Sherry snuck past my bed and creeped down the hall.

"Hee hee hee. He'll be so suprised!" I knew what she was talking about. Claire was coming home. I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Tomorrow would be an eventful day.

_Daylight...yet again_

The bright morning sun shone in my face through the window. Somehow, the previous night's events had faded so far into my memory, I had forgotten them. And the endless knocking on the door didn't really help matters any. _God help it if it's that damn paperboy..._ I thought. I leaped off of the little hide-a-bed, and stormed to the front door.

"All right...that does it!" I shouted as I opened the door. Well, let's just say it wasn't the paperboy. I'm 5 foot, 9 inch tall, and this guy had to be at least three or four inches taller than me, and his biceps were about the size of melons. I was afraid he was going to rip my head off or something, but he just looked at me and laughed.

"So this is that Leon fella?" he asked.

"Yeah...that's my name...and who the hell are you?" I asked. I had my answer as Claire poked her head through the doorway.

"Hi Leon! I'm home!" _So this must be Chris,_ I thought. I didn't see any resembelance. Claire's kind of small, about an inch or two shorter than I am, and this guy was her older brother. But I really couldn't see the slightest resembelance. He came over and grasped my hand and shook it.

"Name's Chris. Nice to meet ya'," he said. 

"Uh...yeah..." I answered as I rubbed my hand. Hell, he had to of crushed every bone in it! Claire dropped their bags, and went down the hall. Chris looked at me, and then a strenuous look crossed his face.

"Hey Leon? Where's your bathroom? I've got to take one hell of a crap!" I had a feeling that things were about to get interesting. I had no clue how interesting things would get soon enough. Chris was, well, an interesting fellow, to say the least. 

"Down the hall. Can't miss it," I directed. He muttered a thanks, and headed down the hall. I, for one, sat down and turned on the TV. The National News was on. I had nothing else better to do, so I decided to watch. I heard footsteps and thought it was Chris, but I thought twice when I saw Claire poke her head through the doorway.

"Hey," she greeted. She didn't look too well.

"Hi, how was the trip?" I asked. A painful look crossed her face as she sat down beside me, and she began bawling as she cried into my shoulder.

"Claire, what happened?" I asked. She couldn't answer, she just kept crying. I heard heavier footsteps, and Chris barged into the living room.

"Umbrella," he said. "It's their damn fault. It always has been." I knew he was right, because she nodded as she cried.

"My God..." I whispered. I never had felt so bad in my life. It hurt me badly to see Claire in this condition. I put my arms around her, and tried to comfort her.

_(Whaddya know, Leon. You've fallen for her.)_

For once, I think my inner voice was right. After Ada died in the explosion in the Racoon Plant, I thought I'd never love again. I was beginning to think that I was proving myself wrong.

"I just don't know what to do!" she sobbed. I lifted her up by her chin, and looked her in the eyes.

"First you get Sherry up. Then we have some important business to discuss," I said. I prayed that God would provide the right time for me to break to her my business with the Fed's. She nodded and left. Chris plopped onto the couch and looked square at me.

"Listen, bub. I don't know you, but I know that you and Claire are close. Be careful. You're treading on thin ice." I was in fear of my life. I swore that guy would try to kill me. He was right. I had to be careful.

"Don't worry. Claire and I are just friends, nothing more," I choked out.

"Good. Make sure it stays that way." He stood up and went into the kitchen. I heard Claire and Sherry step out into the hallway, and I knew Judgement Day was upon me. No doubt Sherry had blurted out to Claire about the visit from the other night from the Marshall, and I would pay hell for it. Claire had a perplexed look as she sat down beside me.

"So now you're leaving?" Claire asked. 

"Yeah. I have a little business to conduct in Michigan," I said, not necessarily telling the truth, but not lying either. 

"Business? Like barging into an Umbrella chemical plant?" Claire said. "Sound familiar?"

"Well...uh...yeah," I stuttered. 

"Alone?" she asked.

"No, an old friend of mine from the Academy is going with me. His name is Ark Thompson," I choked. Claire had a menacing look on her face. She looked as if she would rip my head off and shit down my throat.

_(There's your family resembelance.)_

"Well, I don't think you're going anywhere..." she began as she stood up. She poked her index finger right between my eyes. "...without my brother or me." I found it strange that she could keep a straight face. Because Sherry and I sure couldn't. Chris came back through the hall and into the living room, still fumbling with his belt buckle.

"What the hell's going on?" he shouted.

"Nothing," I laughed. "Better get a good night's sleep. We're leaving for Michigan tomorrow."

_**The scene has been set. I give credit of the use of Leon's subconscious**__(the text written like this)__**to Xenogears, which he used during his excellent Silver Blood series. I'm not sure of Ark's relationship to Leon, but the idea I saw of them being classmates came from striker and his equally excellent Armageddon series. Everything else is mine, of course, except for the RE characters and name. So you pricks from CAPCOM, please don't sue me!!**_

_**Stay tuned for ACBR chapter 2: Revelations!**_


	2. Revelation

As Cold Blood Runs

**As Cold Blood Runs**

Dedicated to Randy Averett, my uncle. May he rest in peace. _I would also like to thank Jake Linderman for the idea of "Bio-Port Incorporated", which from what I understand, is a real company near Lansing, Michigan that does produce anthrax vaccines._

_Of course, I don't own Resident Evil, although I wish I did. All new characters, places, and creatures that DON'T appear in any of the RE series games, however, are of my creation, as was the plot of this story._

**CHAPTER 2: Revelations**

_The next morning: 6:00 AM_

I stirred out of my sleep, and checked the small alarm clock on the endtable by my little hide-a-bed. _**6:00 AM.**_ Damn, it was early, but I had important things to accomplish. I stepped into my blue jeans, and slipped my black leather coat over my white t-shirt. I groggily walked into the kitchen, and turned on the coffee pot. I then started to flip on light switches, and Chris, who had slept in the floor, shouted.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he groaned. He sat up, still in the same clothes he had arrived in: a white t-shirt, and black denim jeans. He then boosted himself up, and headed towards the bathroom. Great. The Jolly Green Giant had awakened. I grabbed a coffee cup, and poured some coffee into it. Claire always thought I was crazy for drinking my coffee black, and she always added tons of cream and sugar to her's, not to mention sometimes even chocolate milk. As I sipped from my cup (That shit was hot!) I heard the toilet flush, and Chris stepped back into the room.

"Grab me a cup, will ya Leon?" he asked groggily.

"Sure," I answered. "Cream or sugar?"

"Nope, just black, thanks," he answered. And Claire and Chris were family? I grabbed another cup, and poured some. He came into the kitchen, and took the cup.

"So, where we headed this morning?" he asked.

"Clarkson Federal Building, we're meeting up with a guy named Mick Stevens," I answered. Just as I spoke, Claire, wrapped in a black robe, came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, guys," she sighed.

"Mornin', sis. Sleep well?" Chris asked, with genuine concern. Sleep well? Nightmares?

"Yeah, but I did have a dream about him," she answered. Chris gave a painful look, the first such show of emotion I'd seen of him, and he turned to me.

"I think you two have some things to talk about. I'm going after breakfast," he said as he put on his faded denim jacket. Claire went to stop him.

"But we got stuff here..." she began.

"I said, I'm going to get breakfast. McDonald's ok with everyone?" he sternly said.

"Yeah, just make sure you get Sherry something without sausage. She hates it with a passion," I said.

"OK, I'll be back in an hour," he said as he walked out the door. Claire went and sat down on the couch, and I grabbed another cup for her, with all of the cream and sugar she normally put in it. I sat down beside her, and handed her the cup.

"What's wrong, Claire?" I asked, and she burst into tears. I put a comforting arm around her, and she cried into my shoulder, the 2nd time in 24 hours. Damn, I was so confused.

"You were right, they were waiting for me," she began. "I had to escape from an island near Paris, and we wrecked in the antarctic. Steve and me."

"Steve?" I asked.

"Yeah, Steve Burnside. That bitch Alexia turned him into some killing machine and sent him after me, but Chris shot him. He told me he loved me, and he died," she wept. _My God, _I thought,_ no wonder Chris is so concerned, and she's so depressed._ It hurt, just to see her hurt and know that there was nothing I could do. I just sat there and tried to comfort her, which proved to no avail. At what seemed to be the most inappropriate time, Sherry lumbered out of the bedroom. I signaled for her to head back, and she nodded and headed back for the room.

"Claire?" I began

"What?" she answered.

"You need to be strong. If not for yourself, then for Sherry. She needs you," I said. She sniffled, and nodded.

"You're right, Leon. I need to be strong for her and for Chris," she replied. "Thanks, Leon. I don't know what I'd do without you." I flashed her a smile as she went towards her bedroom. But as serene as things seemed to me right now, I was in for a suprise.

_Reunion: 9:00 AM_

The cab pulled in front of the tall Clarkson Federal Building, in Manhattan. It was humongus, with windows everywhere. It looked more like a tall corporate headquarters than a government building, but it was the right building nonetheless. Chris stepped out, and had the Arabian driver pop the trunk, and began taking large bags out, which had all of our weaponry and medical supplies. I helped him with them, and we began treking towards the front doors. _Please God, _I thought_, no revolving doors_. And luckily enough, there weren't. We stepped through to the receptionist's desk, a skinny old lady, and she smiled.

"Welcome to Clarkson Federal Building. Can I help you nice folks?" she asked.

"We need to speak to Marshall Mick Stevens, please." I answered.

"OH! Mr. Kennedy! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you! Yes, he's waiting on the 14th floor conference room for you!" she said, acting surprized. We gave our thanks, and headed for the nearest elevator. Jesus, it was cramped.

"Ugggggggggggh! It's too tight!" Sherry moaned.

"No kidding," I said as I punched in '14'. The elevator began with a jolt, and after an uninteresting ride, we reached the 14th floor. We filed out, and were met by Marshall Stevens.

"Mr. Kennedy, I presume?" he mockingly asked.

"Yep, along with Chris and Claire Redfield, and Sherry, whom you've already met," I replied.

"Pleasure to meet you all," he stated. "Come on, Agent Thompson awaits." We walked into the large conference room, which all it had was a long table, chairs, and one of those SmartScreens(nothing more than a screen attached to a computer that acts as a really big monitor, hanging on the wall). Sitting in one of the chairs was a tall, lanky, brown haired man, along with two kids, a little brown headed boy and a blond headed girl.

"Ark, you crazy son of a bitch, how are you?!" I shouted, excited to see my best friend from my academy days. He looked at me, and jumped up shouting.

"Leon Kennedy! What the hell you been up to?! It's been ages!" he shouted as he hugged me. Stevens looked at us strangely, as if trying to understand what was going on.

"Do you two know each other?" he asked.

"What? You bet I know him! He was my best friend growing up, and we were one-two in the academy!" Ark answered excitedly. 

"Yeah, make sure you tell them who was number one, Ark," I said, elbowing him.

"Screw you, Leon," he laughed. But soon he got a little more serious. "Rott, Lily, come here. This is that guy I told you about, his name is Leon," he said. Rott looked at me nervously, and Lily turned away.

"Hey, now. Leon's a friend of mine, guys. You can trust him," Ark told them. They looked back at me, and walked up.

"Hello, sir," the boy, who I guessed was Rott, said with a heavy British accent. "I'm Rott, and this is Lily, my sister." Yep. I was right.

"Hi, guys," I said as I shook their hands. "And speaking of introductions, this is Chris and Claire Redfield, and Sherry Birkin," I said.

"What a motley crew," he joked. "So I finally meet the _**infamous**_ Redfields," he said as he shook Chris' hand.

"So can we finally get down to business?" Stevens asked. We nodded, and sat around the large table. Stevens stood by the smart screen, and touched the image of a button on it. A large map of Michigan popped up, with red dots on Lansing, Lebannon, and what I guessed to be the chemical plant. He touched the unnamed dot, and a map of the plant popped up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the North Lebannon Chemical Plant, owned by Umbrella, Inc. A week after I spoke with Leon, this plant was raided by armed soldiers of Bio-Port, which is now being considered a competitor to Umbrella," he said.

"Bio-Port?" Chris asked. "Ain't they the only distributers of the anthrax vaccine to the branches of the military?" 

"Yes, and they also produce over-the-counter and prescription medications," Stevens answered.

"So what would they want from a chemical plant owned by Umbrella?" Claire asked.

"I'll take that one," Ark said. "Rumors are about that the first human-enhancement project is being led by Umbrella, and the syrum used is built off of the same root DNA sequence as the G-Virus. If Bio-Port really wanted to compete with Umbrella, then they would need the research that Dr. Birkin did."

"Right," Stevens said. "So that's where you come in. We need you to infiltrate the deserted facility, and try to obtain the G-Virus sample and the so-called "Genesis" data."

"Genesis?" I asked. "What the hell is that?"

"The human-enhancement data. It is unconfirmed, but an unfinished specimin may also be within the facility. If so, you must find it before Bio-Port sends in its retreval teams," Stevens ordered. "You leave by helicopter from the city at 0400 hours, and arrive at the plant by 0530. Thanks to our computer surveillance department, we have found that the first retreval team will enter the plant at 0730, followed by 2 and 3, at half-hour intervals. If all goes well, then there will be nothing of the plant by the time that team number 1 arrives."

"Well then, I suggest that we find something to do with the children," Claire said.

"We'll place them in protective custody here in the city," Stevens offered.

I shook my head. "No, I have a better idea." 

"What?" everyone asked.

"We'll take them to my parent's house," I triumphately shouted.

_Departure and Arrival: 8:30 PM_

The black Explorer pulled up in my mom and dad's front drive in Manhattan. The house was still the same as I remembered it, being I hadn't been home in six years. It was a really nice one-story brick house with some nice flower beds out front. I walked up to the front door, and rang the bell. After a short period, my 16 year old, tall, dark headed sister Amy answered.

"Leon?!" she squealed. "Welcome home!" She jumped up in my arms and I gave her a big hug. 

"Hey, kiddo. Mom and Dad home?" I asked.

"No, but they should be here in a minute," she said. "I can't believe this! It's been so long!"

"Yeah, too long," I answered.

"Hey Ark! Long time no see!" she shouted as Ark hugged her too.

"Yeah, my god you've grown! Last time I saw you, you'd just turned 10," he said.

"Who are the others?" she asked.

"Oh!" I shouted. "I almost forgot! This is Chris, Claire, Sherry, Rott, and Lily. They're friends," I said.

"Nice to meet you," she said. 

"Guys, this is Amy Lynn, my sister," I said. She grew irritated over my use of her middle name, which she always did, and that's why I called her that. Sibling rivalry. She slapped my arm and her face contorted into one of shock.

"Dammit Leon, you know that I don't want anyone calling my Lynn!" she shouted.

"Watch that mouth young lady," I sternly said. She sighed and flipped me the bird. She walked in, leaving the door open behind her. I began to walk in, and noticed that Ark was the only one following me. 

"Come on in, guys," I welcomed. "You're all welcome here." We walked into the living room: Ark and I took the recliners, Claire, Sherry, and Chris sat on the couch, and Rott and Lily sat on the loveseat. Amy sat down in a beanbag chair sitting right in front of the tv.

"So, Leon, what brings you back to Manhattan? I thought you were transfered to Racoon City," she said. My mind went blank, and my face contorted in pain, as did Sherry's, Chris', and Claire's.

"Amy, I don't think you need to ask about that, just know that something bad happened," Ark calmly said. Amy had a confused look on her face, but she didn't say anything more. I snapped out of my trance when I heard the door open, and heard my dad's voice.

"Amy? Amy? We're home!" he shouted.

"Dad! In here!" Amy shouted. "I've got one heck of a suprise!" Dad and Mom walked in, and went into total shock seeing Ark and I in the living room.

"Oh my god!" my mom, Patricia Kennedy, shouted. "Leon! Ark!"

"Son! What are you doing here!" my father, Scott, shouted.

"Just in the neighborhood, thought I'd drop by."

_The truth is out there: 9:15 PM_

I was sitting out on the porch swing out behind the house. I didn't bother trying to explain to my parents about Racoon. That is what Ark was doing, actually. I was too nervous. Too much on my mind. I turned and saw Claire, in a pair of blue jeans and a black shirt, walked out and sat down by me.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," I answered.

"Why aren't you talking to your mom and dad? They're waiting for you," she stated.

"I can't face them. I can't figure out what to say," I replied.

"Leon, you told me before we left that I had to be strong. That I had to do it for Sherry. Well, you need to be there for Pat, Scott, and most of all, Amy," she said. 

"How can I be strong when I can't even be strong enough to say what I want to someone?" I asked.

"What? What do you want to say to who?" she asked back.

"It's to you, but I just can't say it," I groaned.

"What do you have to say to me, Leon?" Claire asked, more than likely having a pretty good idea what I had to say.

"Claire, before you left, I had something I wanted to say to you. But you stormed out of there before I got the chance. Now I have the chance, I can't say it. But, I guess it's worth a shot," I whispered as I moved closer to her and looked her in the eye. "Claire, I...I...I love you." 

Her face turned red as a beet, and she turned from my gaze. "Leon...I don't know...what to say," she whispered. 

"Claire, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, I mean, with Steve and all," I said as I stood up. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around my waist. 

"Don't be. Because...I wanted to tell you the same thing, but I couldn't because I didn't know about you...and...Ada," she softly spoke to me.

"Does this mean..." I began. She looked me into the eyes, and we began to draw closer...

and closer...

and closer...

WHAM! Who the hell was it now?

"Leon! Dad wants to talk to you!" Amy shouted. "So get your tongue out of Claire's mouth and get the hell in here!" Sometimes I just hated my sister.

_Father and son: 10:00 PM_

Claire and I walked inside hand-in-hand, to see my dad at the kitchen table.

"Son, you and I need to talk...in private," he said.

"I'll be right with you," I said as I kissed her cheek. "Just let me talk to Dad for a minute."

"OK," she said as she headed back towards the living room.

"What's up, Dad?" I asked.

"Leon, why couldn't you tell me about what happened in Racoon City? Why did Ark do it?" he asked.

"I just couldn't say. Even today it still frightens me," I chided.

"It was horriffic, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Listen, Lee. Do you remember when you were 3, and you saw that boat wreck at Niagara Falls?" he asked. I did; it was one of the most traumatic experiences I've ever been through. 3 people died, and I saw it. I had nightmares even after Amy was born, which...well, if I'm 23, and Amy's 16, so, about 4 years. "I told you that if something ever scared you like that, that you could talk to me. Why did you hide it?"

"Dad, it's, well, alot more than three people died. Try 30,000," I whispered.

"Well, whatever happens tomorrow, I want you to come back alive," he said as he headed down the hall towards his bedroom.

"Oh and, Lee?" he asked.

"What Dad?" I asked again.

"You got one helluva woman there. Take care of her."

_**Well, the plans are laid out, and things are about to get bad. Why did I call it Revelations? Well, obviously you didn't read the damn thing! Chapter 3 to come very soon. Our heroes will thrust themselves into the face of danger, and a new(and I mean new, not a CAPCOM character)character will join the ranks of Leon and company. Watch for chapter 3 soon!**_

_**Oh yeah, thanks again to Jake Linderman!**_


	3. Rolling Thunder

As Cold Blood Runs

**As Cold Blood Runs**

**Chapter 3: Rolling Thunder**

_You all know that I don't claim to own RE or any of their characters, but the storyline and any characters and monsters __**I**__ create are mine._

_Wake-up Call: 2:00 AM_

My watch alarm began to sound, and I sat up from my cot on the floor, trying to remember where I was. The previous night's events began to flood back as I saw Claire lying next to me. Chris was crashed on the couch, Sherry and Lily were in Amy's room, and Ark was kicked back in the recliner. Rott, well, Rott decided to sleep in the truck for some reason. I stood up, and walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. I grabbed a cup, and walked over to the pot. As always, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings and was startled by a hand on my shoulder. One that felt like it would crush my shoulder.

"Good morning, Leon," Chris ruefully said. I was in for it now.

"Uh...good morning?" I stuttered. 

"You just couldn't listen to me, could you? You just had to go and get something started, didn't you?" he forcefully whispered.

"What the hell do you mean?" I asked.

"You know damn good and well what I mean! I know about you and Claire," he answered. 

"I don't even know what you're talking about," I said.

"Yeah, right. Come on Leon! First, I saw the way she looked at you all night, and when we all fell asleep, she was more than willing to crawl down right next to you," he told me.

"You know what? You're right Chris," I said, moving right into his face. 

"If you only knew what she's gone through..." he began.

"You know what. I have. I have had someone that I love die in my arms. I do know what she's going through, and I guarantee that she won't go through it again," I was almost shouting.

"I'm going to ask you one question, and you better be praying to God that you get it right," he warned. Now I was confused. "Do you love her?"

I was held suprised by the question. "Uh...yeah," I said. "I do love her."

"I don't want any of this 'uh' bullshit," he said. "I want to know if you'll be there when she needs you." 

"Yes, I will Chris. I love your sister," I told him again.

"You seem like a good enough guy to me, in the short time I've known you. Just, don't disappoint me. But most of all, don't disappoint her," he said as he walked out the front door. I was held aghast. Why wasn't my head rolling in the floor? I turned back to my cup of coffee and walked back into the living room. Claire was still sleeping in the floor. I knelt down by here and cupped my hand around her cheek. She smiled and opened her eyes. 

"Morning," she whispered as she sat up.

"Come on," I said. "Let's take a walk before the others get up."

"Where's Chris? We don't need to run into him," she sorrowfully said.

"Too late. I already talked to him. He actually seems fine with it," I cheerfully replied.

"Well, then. Let's go!" she said as she put on her coat. We headed out the door and down the street. It was a typically cold morning in mid-January, but neither of us minded. It was just a great relief to be out with her, and I'm pretty sure she felt the same way. We didn't say too much, we just walked hand-in-hand on the moonlit sidewalk. Finally, Claire said something.

"What exactly did Chris tell you?" she concerningly said.

"Just wanted to know if I truly loved you," I answered.

"Well, you do, don't you?" she asked. We stopped, and I looked into her eyes.

"You know that I do. And that I'll never let anything happen to you," I told her. She didn't say anything. She just moved closer, and I kissed her. It seemed like an eternity: but in a good way. One of those feelings that you don't want to end, but unfortunately, it did. We stood there trapped in each gaze, and I didn't want to move, but the cell phone in my back pocket started to ring. I pulled it out and answered.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Looks like the early bird gets a little more than the worm." Great. It was Ark.

"What's going on, Ark?" I asked.

"Well, everyone's up, wondering where the hell you two love birds are," he answered.

"On the corner of 5th and Mason, near the park," I answered.

"OK, well, we ain't coming after you, so you need to get your asses back here," he said.

"Yeah, we're on our way," I said, annoyed at Ark. He always could ruin anything he meddled in. 

"Well, we better be heading back, we gotta meet Stevens in 1 1/2 hours," I told Claire. She nodded, and we headed back, hand-in-hand.

_Battle Plan: 2:30 AM_

"Well, looks like we're ready to go," I said as I closed the back of the Explorer. Dad stood on the porch, and looked at me concerningly.

"Lee, you sure you going to be all right?" he asked.

"We'll be fine, Dad. Please take good care of the kids until we get back," I said as I hugged him.

"Just take care of yourselves. Remember what I said last night," he said. 

"I will Dad. I will," I answered. I turned back towards the Ford, and looked back at my father.

"Those kids better be in good order _**when**_ I get back," I said. I hopped in the back next to Claire, and we pulled out. Chris was driving, and well, it was an interesting ride. Thank God that we had taken the alleyways and there weren't any police officers out.

"Think you're going fast enough?" Ark sarcastically asked.

"Nope, but I'll happily oblige!" Chris joyfully shouted, as he strained the Ford's V8 just a little harder. I took a peek over his shoulder at the speedometer, and it had cleared 120. Chris was acting like a little kid with a new toy, but he was 28 and had 3 other people in a powerful vehicle. Claire's face had gone pale white, and Ark looked like he was about to crap his pants.

"Slow it down a little, Chris. We're going to have to get out onto the highway here in a minute," I said.

"Jesus, you guys just don't want to have **ANY** fun!" he shouted as he removed his foot from the accelerator. I breathed a sigh of relief, and sat back next to Claire.

"You ok?" I asked her. Her face was finally getting some color back into it.

"Yeah, Chris has driven this way for most of his life, and I still can't get used to it," she laughed as she curled up against me. But of course, Ark had to put in his two cents.

"No horseplay back there you two," he mockingly warned. Obviously Chris thought he was serious because he glanced in the mirror to make sure. Claire shook her head, and I slid over behind Ark.

"You realize that I'm going to have to pay you back," I warned.

"What the hell? You all ready did, plus more! Don't you remember Kristi Andrews?" he asked. And a memory flooded back to me. Kristi Andrews was Ark's girlfriend back in our academy days. I had snuck into her dorm to try to scare her. But somehow, Ark was _mysteriously_ there, and I snuck up behind her chair(I was all dressed in black), and held a rubber knife to her throat. She freaked, and pushed the chair back and put me into the wall. She grabbed me by my hood, and kicked me in the balls. She then threw Ark and me out, and last I heard, she had restraining orders out on the both of us, thinking he had something to do with it. I began laughing as I remember.

"You shouldn't have given me the key then, dumbass! You knew that I would pull something!" I laughed. Claire looked confused, and I tried to explain. 

"So, I'm guessing you two were the class clowns," she said.

"Not to mention 1st and 2nd in our class," I said.

"Do we have to go through this again?!" he shouted. Chris had grown irritated with Ark and I.

"If you children think you can end this squabble, then we just may actually get inside the building," I noticed that the Explorer had stopped, and Stevens were waiting for us at the door. We got out of the jeep, Chris with our weapons in a large duffel bag and Claire had our medical supplies on her back in a backpack. 

"Glad to see that you all made it," Stevens said. "We got a chopper on the roof, ready to go." We entered the building, and took the elevator up. Cramped as always. But the ride was a longer, and only God knew when it would end. But, it ended, and we all piled out. A large combat transport chopper was there, and four others (3 guys and a woman) stood in combat camoflague, while our team was decked in all black. I noticed another woman in the cockpit of the chopper.

"OK guys. Departure in one hour. We have also dispatched another team to assist you in the recovery of the G-Virus," Stevens began. "First, to my left," he said, indicating a tall brown headed man, "is Greg Turner. Greg is a specialist in heavy armaments and paramillitary operations." Greg came over and shook our hands.

"Hello," was all he said.

"Next," Stevens began, signaling for a shorter, but not all that short, blonde headed woman, "is Sarah Chase, a paramedic, biochemist, and geographer." She didn't say much, but went over by Greg.

"Then," he said as another tall guy, a Mexican, or some one from South America, stepped forward. "is Carlos Oliveria. Carlos, an ex-weapons expert for Umbrella's Biohazard Countermeasure Service,is our new computer and communications expert." Carlos seemed to ge a good guy and walked over and shook our hands. But Chris looked a little uneasy.

"Nice to finally meet ya," he said. "Heard a lot about you."

"OK," Stevens said, and the last guy, a short redheaded guy stepped forward. "Meet Nicolas Garrett. He is our covert combat expert, and will prove to be to some assistance to you." He gave us a smile and stood over with the others.

"Finally, our pilot is a familiar face, at least to one of you." he said, as the pilot, a medium-height woman with short brownish-reddish hair and paralyzing brown eyes stepped out and caught wind of our group. She saw Chris and amazingly began spazzing out.

"Chris?! CHRIS!" she shouted and ran over to Chris. She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. He returned the hug, and he looked pleased.

"Jill, how've you been?" he asked.

"Well, none the worst for wear. So you're the guy that Marshall Stevens was talking about," she said. Stevens gathered our little band, which had gone from 4 to 9 in ten minutes, around.

"OK, I'm not going up there with you all, so you're recieving assignments right now. Kennedy, Ms. Redfield, Thompson, and Oliveria will be 'Recovery Team'. They will be the ones who will actually break into the specimin locker and retrieve the G-Virus and the 'Genesis' information," Stevens ordered. Claire and I were excited about the assignment, but of course, ol' Ark had to be Ark.

"I've got my eye on you two," he said in his worst Italian accent. 

"Enough with the child's play," Stevens said. "Now, we will have two smaller teams. Chase, Turner, and Mr. Redfield will be 'Backup team.' It is your obligation to stay at the entrance of the locker and make sure that no agents of Bio-Port, in case our guys can't make it out before their first retreval team arrives, enter and have any access to the locker's contents. Valentine and Garrett will stay and man the chopper, in case that an early evac must take place."

"Sir, requesting permission to speak, sir!" Chris said with every sign of pure discipline.

"Granted," Stevens said.

"I've worked with Ms. Valentine before, and I would much rather her work with me than someone I don't know," he said sharply.

"Can't do, Redfield. She's the pilot, and therefore must stay at the chopper in case we have to pull out," he replied just as sharply. "Kennedy, you're designated squad leader. It's up to you to make sure that we get our guys in there and out as fast as possible." I was frightened by the assignment.

"Sir, I'm not necessarily experienced in a leadership role," I said, hoping he would assign Chris or one of these cronies he had chosen.

"You'll do fine," he said. "By the way, Mr. Redfield!" 

"Yes sir?" Chris shouted.

"Can you fly a bird?" Stevens asked.

"Yes, I was a trained USAF pilot," Chris answered.

"Act as copilot until arrival. We need your kind of experience," Stevens said as he went back into the building.

"Yes, sir!" Chris said, with a slight hint of happiness in his voice.

_Stormin' the Castle: 4:30 AM_

"Ten minutes from landing!" Jill Valentine shouted back from the cockpit to us. Stevens four soldiers sat on one side, while Claire, Ark, and I sat on the other side. Claire had her fingers intertwined with mine, and I could tell she was worried. I touched her cheek, and she looked at me.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked.

"I'm worried about what is going to happen. What if those Bio-Port guys show up early?" she said.

"Hey, you're going in there with me, and I told you this moring, I won't let _anything_ happen to you," I assured her.

"OK, then. Make me a promise." she ordered.

"What?" I asked.

"If something happens in there, we make it out alive...together," she said. "Promise?" Man, she must really be worried.

"You bet," I told her.

"Hey, Leon," Ark said. "How the hell we going to get into Umbrella's main frame?" 

"I'll take that one, _senor,_" Carlos told him. "You remember, I was an officer in the UBCS. I'll use my password, and I can get us in."

"Wait just a sec, Carlos," Greg, the brown headed guy said. "You're with us, now. They've probably removed your password."

"No, not yet, _amigo,_" he arrogantly said. "I broke into their company files yesterday, and I'm still listed in their personell database, as MIA."

"But if you use your password, won't it show our location?" Claire asked. 

"No, it will just show that I've logged in to the network. It won't even show what I've accessed," he replied.

"2 minutes, get your shit together!" Chris shouted. Greg, Carlos, Sarah, and Nicolas pulled out their issued AK-47's and their Beretta 9mm. sidearms. I got into our weapons bag, and pulled out a double-barreled Remington 10ga. shotgun and my Desert Eagle magnum. I handed Claire a PR-70 grenade launcher with grenade rounds and flame napalms, and the Colt .45 revolver she found in the RPD building. I handed Ark a 12ga. pump Remington and my Ruger .44 semiautomatic pistol. Chris had his sawed-off double barreled shotgun and his own Beretta with him. I didn't know what Jill had, but there were some spare guns in the bag. Claire and Sarah both strapped on packs of medical supplies.

"30 seconds!" I felt the rotors begin slowing as the chopper began to drop. 

"Landing!" The chopper touched ground and the engines quit. We all piled out, and gathered. We were about 100 yards from the chemical plant. It looked menacing, and with God-knows-who...or what...in it, why wouldn't it.

"OK, Mr. Squad leader, we ready?" Chris asked. Carlos had joined Ark, Claire, and me, and the others were ready to go also.

"Yep, let's move out." We began trudging through the snow that you knew would just be there in mid-January. I saw Nicolas back with Jill, and turned my attention ahead to the nearing facility. We soon arrived at the gates...the locked gates. I loaded my shotgun, and blasted it. The locks and chains willingly flew off of the gates.

"Shall we?" I asked my team, trying to keep the humor as I kicked the gate open. We stormed the grounds of the facility, but stopped dead in our tracks as we heard a blood-curdling howl.

"Hunters..." Chris said. I had no clue what a hunter was, but I didn't bother asking. I assumed that they were more of Umbrella's creations. I signaled for the team to move ahead. We kept sneaking up through the snow, and quickly arrived at the door. There was a small terminal, and Carlos opened a menu. He typed some stuff in, and pressed enter. The door slid open with a whoosh, and the interior of the facility looked like any other Umbrella facility. Sarah unravelled her map, and we stopped to take a look at it.

"OK, specimin locker is on this floor," she said.

"Thanks, Sarah. But where can we find the terminal to activate the self-destruct sequence?" I asked.

"What? That wasn't in briefing?" Greg shouted.

"No, I'm changing the plans. We'll get what Mick wants, and blow the place. I don't want this place to remain standing. I don't want **ANYTHING **remaining that can help Umbrella," I ordered.

"Yes, sir." Sarah said. "2nd Floor." 

"OK, new assignments. Once Claire, Ark, Carlos, and I get out with the stuff; Greg, Sarah, Claire, and Ark will return to the chopper. Carlos, Chris, and I will activate the self destruct sequence," I ordered. Claire looked upset at the point that I wanted her out of the facility when I planned to blow it up. 

"Let's move out," I said. We began walking down the dimly lit corridor, hearing groans of the undead, and howls of something that didn't even sound to be alive in the first place. We moved on through the facility, and finally Sarah stopped us at the door to the specimin locker. 

"OK, guys. Recovery Team, follow me. Back-up team, you need to stay here. Carlos, work your magic." I said. Carlos went to the small keypad near the door. He began pressing buttons, and once again, the door swished open. 

"OK, fellas. Let's go."

_A New Addition: 4:25 AM_

"OK, guys. We have 35 minutes to get everything ready and go," I said as I ran over to a computer terminal. I opened up the menu, and called Carlos over.

"OK, input the password," I ordered, and once again, he did. The menu was fully accessible, and I was intrigued by the information in it. 

"Ark? Throw me a disk," I said. Ark reached into his bag and pulled out a ZIP disk, and I began copying information. Claire was exploring the viral freezers, trying to find the G-Virus. Carlos was on another terminal, trying to find the 'Genesis' information. Finally, the information from my terminal was copied, and just as I turned around, I heard the radio beeping.

"Yeah?" I asked. It was Jill.

"Hurry the fuck up, because the 1st Bio-Port team has arrived!" She shouted.

"OK, just get the chopper inside the gates. I'll get back up to meet you out there." I said as I clicked off the radio. 

"Hurry it up guys!" I shouted. "First Recovery team is here from Bio-Port!

"Got the vial!" Claire shouted as she picked up the vial of the purplish liquid.

"Hey! You guys won't believe this!" Carlos shouted. The three of us gathered around his terminal, and what we saw amazed us. "We're going to rescue this Genesis thing!" 

As it turns out, Genesis was a human infused with the G-Enesis Syrusm. As it turned out, once the facility was cleared, his viral infusions were complete, but the BOW programming system was incomplete. I went to a large goo-filled tube, and pressed a button. All of a sudden, Genesis began to rise out of the goo. He was human, looked around Claire's to my age, with black hair. But he was _**Humongus**_. His biceps were the size of my head, and he made any professional football player look as small as Sherry. I pressed another button to release the goo, and well, it did. Water jets then began to wash the excess off of him, and the door slid open, and he fell out of the tank. Claire crouched down by him, trying to pick up a pulse. He then sprang to life. Claire jumped back, and the rest of us trained our rifles at him.

"You Bio-Port motherfuckers won't get me. I killed the last bunch of you, and I'll kill you all too!" he shouted. He picked up Carlos, and flung him against a wall.

"Don't worry! We're here to help you escape!" Ark shouted. 

"What? Escape?" he asked.

"Yeah, if you want to get the hell out of here, then come with us." I ordered. Carlos groaned as he stood up.

"Hey _muchacho,_ what was that for?" he shouted.

"I'm...sorry." he said. "I thought you guys were from Bio-Port."

"What's your name?" Claire asked.

"Well, according to the Umbrella Scientists, I'm known only known as Genesis, but my real name is Seth. Seth Hartford," he said.

"Well, Seth, how about getting the hell out of here?" I asked.

_Escape: 4:45 AM_

We barged out of the locker, Seth in a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and leather jacket he had found in a locker, and were met by Chris, Sarah, and Greg.

"Who the hell is that?" Chris asked, pointing at Seth.

"None other than Umbrella's newest attempt at a B.O.W.," I said. "His name's Seth. But don't worry about that now! Bio-Port's bastards are just outside the facility!"

"Well, let's finish this," Chris said.

"The chopper's just inside the gates," I told them. "Carlos, Chris, let's go." Claire came up and hugged me, crying.

"Please, Leon, please don't leave me," she cried.

"Don't worry. I'll be back," I said. "Now, you guys need to get Seth and this out!" I handed Ark a disk. They ran for the door, and we headed for an elevator, but were met by an unfriendly creature...it looked like a giant frog with humongus claws.

"Oh shit! Hunters!" Chris shouted as he began pumping shotgun shells into it. Carlos began firing his assault rifle, and I pumped some 10ga. rounds of my own into it. It jumped up, and it's claw grazed my face.

"Oh fuck!" I shouted. There was a gash down the left side of my face, and it was bleeding profusely. Chris pumped another round into it, and finally, the hunter fell to the ground.

"Leon, get the hell back to the chopper," Chris said. "Carlos and I can take care of this."

"No," I answered as I got into the elevator. "I started this, and I'll be damned if I don't finish it!" We rode the elevator up to the second floor, and filed out. We were met by two lickers, and I saw some zombies further down the corridor. I whipped out my Desert Eagle, and began pumping rounds into the skinless bodies with blades for arms as they crawled around on the ground, trying to lance us with its long, razor sharp tongue. They weren't as difficult to defeat as the hunter was, and were soon writhing in pain in a pool of their own blood.

"There!" Carlos shouted, indicating a small terminal in the hallway. We all ran for it, and he took over by the keyboard. Soon, a raspy female voice announced "5 minutes to self-destruct...repeat 5 minutes to self destruct, please evacuate!"

"More than happy to oblige!" I shouted as we ran back towards the elevator, and rode down to the first floor. As we got out, we saw four black-clad agents entering the specimin locker. We waited until the door shut behind them, and ran out of the exit. Carlos halted to lock the door behind us.

"Let's see those bastards get out of this one!" he shouted. But, we couldn't celebrate for long. 

"2 minutes, please evacuate." We were running for the chopper.

"1 minute..." Almost there...

_**WHOOSH!**_

"Duck! I shouted. We crouched down, and the plant went up in flames behind us. Once things calmed down behind us, and we walked for the chopper. We climbed up into the carrier, and Chris went into his place in the cockpit.

"Oh my God, Leon, look at your face!" Claire shouted as she saw the wound that the hunter gave me. But I didn't care. As she put a large bandage across the gash on my cheek, I looked at her.

"I told you, didn't I?" I said.

"What?" she asked.

"I told you that you'd be ok," I replied. I looked around the chopper. Chris and Jill were pulling the chopper up, Carlos, Greg, Sarah, and Nicolas were talking about something, and Seth was crashed out on the bottom of the chopper. She finished the bandage, and leaned up against me. I realized that this was just the beginning. There would be more to come, and I would keep my promise. My promise to Claire.

_**Well, is that the end? NO! What's going to happen as our heroes return to New York, being fugitives from both Bio-Port and Umbrella? Well, you'll just have to wait for Chapter 4 of As Cold Blood Runs- Ease on Down the Road. Stay tuned!**_


	4. Ease on Down the Road

AS COLD BLOOD RUNS:

**AS COLD BLOOD RUNS: CHAPTER 4**

**EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD**

_OK, you all know the drill by now. No, I don't own Resident Evil but whateverI make up, like Seth Hartford and this story is MINE!!! But I can't make any money off of it. (Walks off grumbling "Stupid CAPCOM bastards coming up with Resident Evil before I could...I'll show them...")_

(And just a little measure of explanation, things are about to get a little confusing as I begin to introduce new characters into the plot, so first, not everything might be from Leon's POV, and they might not even be in first person view, as you're about to see.)

_On the morning of the Lebannon Plant Raid: 6:00 AM_

_Bio-Port Headquarters, Lansing, Michigan._

Trevor Peters, commander of Bio-Port's RAID (Reconnasance, Assault, and Informative Directive) Squadron, stormed down the hallway of the office building near the Bio-Port corporate headquarters. He had just gotten wind of the failed raid on Umbrella Inc.'s chemical plant about an hour north of Lansing, near a little town called Lebannon. He was trembling in fear; he knew that the president would be angry. The new president of Bio-Port...a real mystery to everyone, but it's believed that he had some connection with Umbrella and what happened to the little midwestern town of Racoon City.

And there was something about the president...his eyes. The president never said what was wrong, but Trevor believed it had to do with Umbrella, Bio-Port, or both. Finally he reached the door, and he stopped and took a deep breath. Maybe he was in a good mood today. He better hope so. He opened the door, and walked in.

"Sir, I have news coming out of Lebannon," he said. The president was turned around in his chair, staring out the window behind him.

"What is it, Commander Peters?" the deep voice that came from the president asked.

"Well, the plant was destroyed this morning at 0530 hours, with our first recovery team still inside," he said. "We believe that it was the work of the government."

"No...it may have been under government jurisdiction, but it was someone else," the president rasped. "Redfield..."

"Excuse me, sir?" Trevor asked.

"Those damn Redfields. We must do something about them," the president rasped. Trevor was dumb-struck. Redfield? Who was Redfield?

"Well, what do you want me to do, Mr. President?" Trevor asked.

"I want you to send our finest RAID countermeasure unit to New York. Tell them to find these people," the president said as a file was tossed over the chair. It contained pictures of five or six people: five men, three women, two girls and a little boy.

"Will do, sir. How do you want them disposed?" Trevor asked.

"I don't want them disposed. I want them brought to me...alive," the president said.

"Yes sir...President Wesker.

_Get out of my head: 7:00 AM_

"All right, folks! Got a message from Stevens!" Jill shouted through the headsets. "We're landing on a private strip at NY International Airfield, and we'll meet him there. From there, it's happy trails." Those words were music to my ears. It had been about an hour and a half since we had evacuated the Lebannon facility, and we all were beat. Claire was asleep, snuggled up in my side, Ark, Seth, Carlos, and Sarah sat engaged in a poker game, and Greg, well, Greg was just a recluse. He sat on the bench opposite of Claire and I, just staring out a window. Something was really weird about that guy. I didn't want to dwell on it, so I turned my attention to what I saw was most important...Claire. I cupped her cheek with my hand, and even in her sleep, I saw her smile. Talk about tranquility.

"Hey, Leon!" Ark shouted. "You want in?" He had apparantly finished cleaning everyone else out, and wanted to start on me.

"No thanks, bud. Got something more important to deal with right now," I answered. Ark gave me a disgusted look, more so from not getting the chance of swindling me out of a couple hundred dollars than my outright show of affection for Claire. He turned back to the others, and I leaned back and closed my eyes. God, my cheek hurt.

_(Tired?)_

_'What?! You again?'_

_(Leon, I'm part of you. I'll always be around.)_

"Hey! We're almost there!" 

_'What do you want?!'_

_(The same things as you...to survive this and end up living a happy life somewhere...with Claire.)_

"Dammit, Leon! You awake?" _.._

_'Get the hell out of my head!'_

_(It's my head too, ya know!)_

"Something's wrong! He's not responding!" 

_'What the fuck did you do to me?'_

_(To properly rephrase that, what the fuck did you do to yourself?)_

"Oh my God! Leon! Come on, wake up!"

_'GET OUT, DAMMIT! GET OUT!'_

_(Wakey, wakey...)_

_'Fuck off!'_

_(It would be a good decision to wake up, Leon!)_

"Someone get a doctor in here!"

_'Doctor?! We're in a damn helicopter!'_

_(Oh really? Just take a look...)_

I opened my eyes, and was greeted by an extremely bright light. 

"Dammit, turn that light off!" I shouted as I shielded my eyes with the small pillow my head was resting on. The overhead examination light shut off, and I noticed Claire right beside me, and Chris, Seth, Carlos, Jill, and Ark surrounding me. 

"What is going on here?" I asked as I sat up. I felt like I had been beaten all about my body with one of those industrial-strength sledgehammers. A tall, bald man walked over with a chart. I guessed he was a doctor.

"Well, it seems, Mr. Kennedy, that you suffered from a panic attack. From what I've gathered, you fell asleep on your flight over here from London, and just now woke up," he said. London? I gave Claire a weird look, but she winked at me. Cover-up. Good plan on her part.

"Yeah. Not too much to worry about then?" I said.

"On the contrary. You slipped into severe shock, almost on the verge of an epileptic seizure. You're emotionally and physically unstable right now. The best thing for you is rest...lots. You need to take a break," he said. Once again, music to my ears. Rest actually did sound good. I stood up along with the others, and shook his hand.

"Thanks for your help, doc," I said as we headed out of the exam room. I was still confused as to what happened to me. I only laid back to go to sleep, and something like this happened. What was wrong with me? My face was still contorted in confusion even as we crawled into the van, apparantly provided by Stevens, because Sarah was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Hey, how ya feeling, Cap?" she asked. 

"Better, I think," I answered as I sat in the furthest seat back with Claire. Ark sat in the passenger's seat, and the other three sat in the seat in front of me. I leaned back, still tired. I tried to get some shut-eye, but I felt a prodding finger in my side. 

"You ok?" Claire asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered. She seemed irritated at the way I answered her.

"Leon, for God's sake, what happened this morning?" she asked.

"It's just a little stress. I'll be fine," I answered her again.

"Well, while you were out, I kept hearing you say 'Get out!' What was that about?" 

"Probably just a nightmare or something, nothing to be concerned with."

"But Leon, I am concerned. I don't want to see you this way!"

"Claire..._sigh._ It's just a recurrant nightmare. Something I've been dealing with since we got out of Racoon City."

"Well no wonder! It's been over 4 months. Leon, if something's bothering you, then you can talk to me."

"I know, Claire."

"I'm dead serious. I don't know what the heck I'd do if something happened to you," she said as she wrapped her hand around mine.

"Don't worry. The doctor said a couple days of rest, and I'll be fine," I said as the van pulled up to my parents' house. We all climbed out, and Sarah looked in our direction.

"You guys take a couple days rest," she said. "Mick said he'll keep in touch."

"Great..." I moaned.

_Ark_

_Unnecessary Roughness: 9:30 AM_

Leon was still asleep, but I couldn't blame him. The poor guy, he was going through hell. Amy had the kids out somewhere...I really didn't know where, but then again I didn't really care. Scott and Pat, well, I didn't know where they were either. Luckily, Leon had his key, and luckily his parents hadn't had their locks changed in six years. Amy, however, WAS home when we had arrived, but had just left. There were four of us in here: Chris, Carlos, Jill, and myself. Seth was crashed out on the floor, so that made five. That kid had gone through hell, too. Claire was back in Leon's parents' room, but nothing was going on, if you know what I mean. We sat there, watching the latest installment of the CBS National News. Boooooooooooorrrrrrrrring. We were almost in a catatonic trance, but we were awakened by Claire coming into the living room, and she plopped down by Chris. 

"How is he, sis?" Chris asked.

"Well, he's asleep. He's messed up pretty bad," she answered. I was kinda confused. Leon was one of the most strongwilled people I knew, and here he was, broken like a twig in a tornado.

"Did he say anything to you?" Jill asked.

"No, he just kept saying that it was some nightmare," she answered.

"Well, if you ask me," I said. "I say that a nightmare doesn't nearly put a guy into a seizure."

"I know, but I really can't do anything until he tells me something!" Claire moaned.

"Well, all we can do is be supportive until he can beat this," Jill said matter-of-factly. We all were agreed, so nothing more on the subject was said.

Chris was concentrated on something else at hand, though. He turned to Jill.

"Any word from Barry, Rebecca, or Brad?" he asked.

"Well, Barry got us out of Racoon before it blew, and he went to Canada to spend some time with his family for awhile. Nobody's heard from Becky, and Brad..." Jill began. "Brad's dead." Chris hung his head in mourning for a brief second, and then stood up.

"Jill, any idea of Barry's phone number?" he asked. Jill nodded, and handed Chris a small slip of paper.

"All right. I'm going to go try to get ahold of him," Chris said as he went into the kitchen. 

_Trevor_

_Smoke and Mirrors: 9:30 AM_

"GO! GO!" I shouted. The RAID soldiers stepped up by me, and we busted the door down in the ground-level apartment. We rushed in, and much to our suprise, nobody was home.

"I want the place searched top-to-bottom! No stones left unturned!" I ordered. I walked into what I guessed was the kitchen. The fridge was full, there were personal items all over the apartment, but they weren't here. 

"Dammit!" I shouted. "They've caught wind of us!" The rest of my men came back around to me, and we huddled up.

"OK, I want the place torched. We can't leave any evidence that we were even here," I ordered. Gary, one of my RAID counterparts, began opening any natural gas valves he could find. I ordered that we exit the building, but before I followed, I flicked my cigarette back into the apartment. 

WWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSH!

The apartment burst into flames as I ran for the van. I saw several other people in other apartments rush out to see what happened, but I was unconcerned. I signaled for the driver to go, and we did. Al wasn't going to like this one. I grabbed the carphone, and hit speed-dial 1.

"This is Wesker," I heard him grumble.

"No sign of them sir. But we torched the place," I said.

"That will do for now. You and your men catch a ride back to base. We'll begin new procedure from there. Good job, commander," he said as he hung up.

"To the chopper!" I shouted.

_Leon_

_Eternal Abyss: 12:30 PM_

I finally stirred from my sleep, and well, I was still in a lot of pain...physically and mentally. I looked at the alarm clock. "Damn," I said as I stood up and put on an old pair of jeans and walked into the living room, seeing nobody. 

"Hey?" I shouted. "Anyone here?" Silence. 

"I guess not," I said as I went into the kitchen to grab a Pepsi, and saw a note on the refrigerator door. It was from Claire.

"Leon,

Chris got ahold of another survivor: Barry Burton. He's coming down from Canada, and he's going to get us to a safehouse of sorts. Went to pick up our stuff at the apartment. Be back soon. I've got your phone, so if something happens, call.

Love ya lots, 

Claire."

So, we were about to get the heck out of here. Thank God. I walked back into the living room, and turned on the TV to catch the last part of "Spotlight: America." And what I saw startled me.

"Early this morning, a pharmaceutical chemical plant near Lansing, Michigan was attacked by terrorists. But what baffles police: who did it?" the reporter said. Cool. We made the news. "After the attack, the plant, owned by Umbrella Pharmeceuticals International, was detonated, erasing any incrimintating evidence."

Damn. So Umbrella all ready knows.

"A quote from Umbrella's Director of Public Relations reads as follows: 'Although we don't know the identity of the attackers, we are sure that the justice will be served to the bandits.'" I didn't bother to listen to the rest of it. Plain and simple, it sickened me. I flipped the TV off, and went back into my dad's study and got on his computer. I opened up my email account, and didn't see any new messages that really mattered. So, I just went back into the living room, and caught the closing minutes of a pretty good hockey game.

_Claire_

_Fight Fire with Fire: 12:45 PM_

Our Explorer pulled onto the street in which our apartment sat on. People were crowded around, and I couldn't necessarily tell what had happened. That's when I noticed the fire engines.

"Oh God Chris, do you think..." I began.

"I don't know," he said as he pulled over, and hopped out. "But I'm going to find out. Ark, Seth, Jill, and I followed him, to what happened to be the hollowed out shell of our apartment.

"Oh my God..." I began. Jill looked at the wreckage, and drew up a conclusion.

"This is the work of Bio-Port, I just know it is," She said.

"What, do you mean the RAID squads?" Carlos asked.

"Whoa, just a minute. You meaning to tell me that this was caused by Bio-Port?" Chris said.

"No doubt," Carlos said. "Umbrella wouldn't have burned the place. They would've used wire-tapping and other surveilance."

"How exactly do you know this?" I asked.

"It was part of my UBCS training," he answered.

"Well, it doesn't even really matter." I said. "Whoever did this, they're playing with fire. And fire can burn."

_**Well, that sure makes things interesting, doesn't it? What's going to happen to Leon? What's going on with Barry? And will RAID strike again? You'll have to stay tuned, because Chapter 5 will be on the way soon. And things are just starting to heat up! **_


	5. Terms of Engagement

As Cold Blood Runs-

**As Cold Blood Runs-Chapter Five**

**Terms of Engagement**

_OK, I'm sure that you get the picture-I don't own Resident Evil, although I don't want to be sued, so I have to keep writing this stupid disclaimer. _

_Leon_

_A quick change of plan: 5:30 PM_

What makes a person evil? Is it genetics, or just the way they were raised? Or...is it the strong need for attention? I'm not really for sure. But, out there, there are evil people. And we all have had our share of encounters with them. In Racoon, evil people destroyed a beautiful suburban midwestern town. On Sheena and Rockfort Islands, evil people once again struck. And in New York, evil people entered my home on an assanation attempt, but come to find we weren't home, my home was burned to the ground. 

I pushed my bangs from my eyes as I sat there listening to Claire, who was in hysterics over the matter. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Chris, who had only been in the apartment for thirty hours, was angered, and people who hadn't even known that I was here, such as my mother, father, and sister were also angered. The dining room was just a brooding place for anger, I guess.

"So let me get this straight," I said to Claire. "Bio-Port sent their strike force to kill us and blow up our home?"

"That's the way it looks," she said. "What are we going to do now?" I stood up and sat down by her, took her into my arms, and held her. She just started bawling, and wouldn't stop. 

"What if we'd been there earlier?" she cried.

"Shhhhh..." I whispered. "The important thing is that we weren't there. Material things can be replaced. Human lives can't."

"Which Umbrella isn't our only concern, guys. We're still up against two international corporations," Seth, who was regularly quiet, said. "I owe them, personally."

"About what they did to you?" Ark asked.

"More than that," he said. "Here, I'll tell you my story."

_Seth_

_Infernal Wind: January 3, 1997_

It was my seventeenth birthday. I used to live in a town in Michigan, called Red Springs. My father, a tall and skinny man with jet-black hair and icy blue eyes, was Chief of Security for a bank in town. He had taken off of work, just to take me to a hockey game in Detroit. The Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues. It was a hell of a game, although in the end St. Louis came out on top. We left, spirits high, and began the 3 hour long drive back home. It was really quiet, until we were about 15 minutes from the house. Dad had a look in his eye...he seemed depressed.

"Seth," my father said.

"Yeah, Dad?" I asked.

"Do you remember your mother?" Come to think of it, I really didn't remember a whole lot. I was eight when she died, and my little sister Heather was only nine months old. So, basically I grew up without a mother. I didn't really think it hurt me too bad, but I knew Heather would wonder where her mother went. My aunt Nichole, my dad's sister, had recently moved in with us to help with Heather. Father was always working, so Nichole or I was always taking care of Heather when I was out of school. 

"A little," I said. He sighed and looked at me.

"You know, you remind me so much of her, son." People always said I looked like my dad. Back then, I was actually kind of skinny myself, before they did this to me. But it was always apparant I had my mother's reckless spirit. I never turned down a dare, and was always getting into trouble.

"I miss her so much," he whispered. "She would be so proud of you, my son." My father looked at me with pride in his eyes. "Because I am." I didn't say anything, I just looked at him and smiled. I sat back and closed my eyes, and apparantly fell asleep, because the next thing I knew, we were home. We groggily climbed out of the silver Chevy Silverado, and headed for our house. I was pretty sure that they were already asleep, because my watch said 3:30 AM. Just as I got to the house, I saw a blood spot on the doorknob. I was also suspicious of the black van across the street. Something just wasn't adding up.

"What's going on?" I whispered. Dad came up, and looked at it. We warily opened in the door, and walked in, noticing a blood trail up the stairs. We ran up, and it ended, going into my aunt's room. I had no earthly idea of what the hell was going on, but regardless, I kicked the door open, and what I saw horrified me. My aunt and sister were lying in pools of blood on the carpeted floor, dead. I screamed for my dad, and he came in. I knelt down and tried to pick up a pulse. Of course, there was none.

"Holy shit," he whispered. I was sickened, and turned my head and vomited. Just then, the closet door bounded open, and three black-clad, armored soldiers attacked. My dad had one by the throat, but the others emptied clips from an Ingram M-11 assault pistols into him. He collapsed to the floor next to my sister and aunt. They then turned on me. I rushed out the door, and slid down the banister to the first story, and fled out the door. I ran down the street, and I noticed that the assailants were getting back into the van. I jumped behind a bush, and picked up a big stick from a Mimosa tree. The van slowly drove by, and I could partially recognise what they were saying, but I didn't hang around. Dumb move. I jumped out of the bushes, and I saw the back door of the van open. One of the soldiers jumped out, and had what looked like a heavy bazooka-type weapon. But when he fired it, a blue pulsating light was emitted from it, and it hit me. It stung like hell, for the amount of time I was awake. Within a matter of seconds, I was completely paralyzed. But I could still hear them.

"Is he fit as a specimin?" Specimin??

"I don't know, he looks like it. According to the forms, he's the right kid."

"Let's get him back to William. He'll tell us there."

"Yeah, let's get him in the van."

_Leon:_

"And I soon awoke, strapped to a surgical table. William Birkin, I think that what his name was, had needles going every which way out of me, filling me with what he called the "G-Enesis Syrum." I was then lowered into a cryogenic tube, and then, I awoke when you all found me," Seth said. Claire looked at him sorrowfully.

"My God..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Claire," he said. "You guys saved my life, and for that, I'll forever be grateful." He walked over to a window, and stared through it. "You guys are the only friends I have left. Everyone else I knew and cared for is dead. And for that, they will all pay dearly." With that said, he walked back down the hallway, and into the guest room where he was sleeping. Claire went back into the living room, leaving me to sit there, pondering on the horrific story that Seth had just told me. I felt sorry for him. He had gone through hell and back, and now he stood ready to stand with us and fight. I stood up, and checked my watch. Damn, it was already seven, and we were supposed to be getting our stuff ready. I stood up, streched, and headed for the living room to begin getting my stuff ready.

_Assault and Battery: 8:00 PM_

I pulled up to the drive-through window at the local Burger King, awaiting my food. I was on supper duty, so I had Claire pack my stuff for me. I had eleven orders expected to be filled, and it would be an armful. Thank God that Mom and Dad had eaten earlier, because then there would have been even more. It seemed to me that fast-food wasn't necessarily fast, but slow as hell. It really got on my nerves. I sat there, in the Explorer, fiddling with the phone in the pocket of my jacket. I was in a trance of boredom as I sat and listened to Metallica's newest song. I sat tapping the steering wheel, attempting to follow the drum beat, but to no avail. But I was suddenly awakened by the ringing of my phone. I didn't see one of those Burger King servers coming, so I answered.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Leon!" It was Claire. "Get back here, quick!"

"What's going on?!" I shouted.

"Just hurry up and get back. Screw the food."

Just as she said that, a teenage girl popped through the window.

"You're total is $32..." she began.

"Cancel the order!" I shouted as I drove off.

Half an hour later, I arrived back at the house. Nobody was home. Strange. I pulled up into the drive, shut off the Explorer, and got out. No lights were on, and I was beginning to get confused. I opened the door, and saw Chris, Ark, and Claire sitting around the table. They all had saddened looks, especially Claire. Something was wrong...really wrong.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"They were here...five of them," Chris said. "They came in, and got the kids. We tried to fight them off, but..." he whispered. "They fired a stun grenade, and knocked us out cold."

"Where did they go? Where are the others? My parents?!" I asked.

"Carlos and Jill are off collecting munitions. Seth's trying to clarify who came in here by looping the security camera, and we got your parents somewhere safe. They're going to Ark's cabin, outside of Albany." Ark said. Munitions? Did that mean...? 

"So we're going after these guys?" I asked.

"We have no choice," Chris answered as I sat down by Claire. "We're going back to Michigan." With that, he stood up, and went into the den, where I was sure Seth sat friviously working. Ark went over to the phone, and dialed someone up.

"You ok?" I asked Claire. She looked at me, with deep saddened eyes.

"Yeah. It's just..." she began.

"I know, I'm worried about Sherry also. And my sister. But we'll find them. I promise," I said.

"What if they try to do something to her or the others?" she asked.

"They won't." I saw Chris come in as he said that. Ark hung up the phone.

"I got ahold of Mick," he said. "He wants us to..." he began.

"No," I said. "This is our fight. Not theirs," I said. I turned back into the living room, and plopped down. I was in shock. But the question was who did it? Umbrella or Bio-Port? Whoever it was, they would pay big-time. They got my sister involved, and that was absolutely not cool. Anger built up inside of me like I had never felt it before.

"Hey Leon!" It was Chris.

"Yeah?" I shouted back.

"Come in here! We've found something!" I jumped up, and ran into the den. Seth sat at my father's computer, and had the footage from my parents' security camera on screen. He looked intense in his work, and what he saw startled him.

"What's going on?" I asked as I went over by Chris to look at the moniter. I saw five black clad soldiers, and I saw the group out cold, as what was the expected result of a stun grenade. I saw them picking up the kids: Amy, Rott, Lily (who has been somewhat quiet, but soon, things were going to change), and Sherry. 

"Fuck..." I whispered. Nothing seemed to be able to identify them except...the blue and gold vortex, Bio-Port's corporate logo.

"That's Bio-Port's men," I said. 

"Dammit, someone in their corporate hierarchy wants us bad," Chris said. "First they blow up our house, and now they kidnap the children." Things were getting really confusing. We were hunting Umbrella, and Bio-Port was hunting us. 

SLAM! I heard the front door close, and Carlos and Jill walked in, along with another guy I had never seen before. He was tall, and broad-shouldered, with brown hair, and a brown beard. He was in a flannel shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of those heavy-duty work boots. 

"Hey, we're back," he said. Chris came in, and saw them with several cases of ammunition. 

"Good job, guys," he said. "We'll be ready to leave in the morning." He saw the quizzical look on my face, and realized that I had no idea of who was with Carlos and Jill.

"Leon," he stated. "This is Barry Burton, a survivor of the Spencer Mansion incident, and the one who rescued Jill and Carlos from Racoon City." He came over and shook my hand.

"Nice to finally meet you," he said. "Chris has told me a lot about you."

"Same here," I answered as we gathered around the dining room table. Chris had a serious look to his face, and I knew that it was time to get down to business.

"OK, fellas," he began. "Now it's our turn to go on the offensive. Tomorrow morning, we leave from a private airfield south of here, headed for Lansing, home of Bio-Port International. More than likely, the kids will be there." We all nodded, and Seth, who was still in the den, suddenly shouted.

"Chris! Jill! Barry!" he screamed. "Get back here, pronto!" The three survivors of the first Racoon incident rushed back to the den. I heard something that sounded like a little mini-tape recorder rewinding, and then, they came back in, faces white as ghosts. 

"Claire..." Chris whispered. "He did it...he survived."

"Who?!" she shouted.

"Listen," he said as he pressed play on the recorder.

"I'd like to congratulate on your recent sucess, Christopher. But too bad it was in vain. You may have put the Genesis project back for many years, but we took something from you worth even more. The precious children who have been travelling with you for so long, are now in our hands. And that little Birkin girl, well, when we get done with her, Genesis will seem obselete." I could hear the thick malice and hatred in the strange voice. I didn't even know who was speaking, but whoever it was made my blood boil.

"By now, you know where the children are, and you definately know what we want. Meet in the RAID office at Bio-Port HQ at 1300 hours, tomorrow, or else your little friends will pay the price of your meddling." That's it. That crazy motherfucker, whoever it was, was going to pay. But as angry as I was, Claire was frightened even more.

"Oh my God..." she breathed. "Wesker..."

_**Well, our heroes finally figured out that Albert Wesker still lives, and is behind the whole thing. But what is to be expected once they arrive? What does Wesker have in mind? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter of As Cold Blood Runs. Ciao!**_


	6. Time Drain

AS COLD BLOOD RUNS

**COLD BLOOD RUNS**

**CHAPTER SIX: TIME DRAIN**

_Leon:_

_Fire Down Below: 10:30 PM_

Anger. A fire burning through my veins, coursing through my heart. Every inch of me burned as I looped the footage of the siege on my parents' home over...and over...and over again. Watching as the black clad troops with the blue and gold vortex stormed through the door; how Chris and Carlos jumped to stop them; watched as they were brutally knocked to the ground and a stun grenade, which emits a bright flash of light to knock out any opponents was fired, and my friends...and Claire...and my sister all collapsed to the ground. I felt such helplessness...and such anger at the sight of my sister, Sherry, and those two British kids, Rott and Lily Klein, that Ark brought with him dragged out like cattle. The footage soon ended, and began to loop again. I heard soft footsteps, but I didn't pay any attention. 

"Hey," it was Claire, in a pair of black shorts and a matching t-shirt, with her hair let down around her shoulders, instead of the ponytail she always insisted it being in.

"Oh...hey," I said as I turned back to the computer screen. I heard the sound of a chair being dragged up next to me. Claire wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder.

"You ok?" she asked.

"Yeah...just fine," I answered, unfortunately rather coldly. Claire looked at me, and I felt the focus of her soft blue eyes on me. She put her hand up against my cheek, and I turned my face and met her gaze.

"Leon," she began. "I know what you're going through...but please...don't distance yourself from me. I don't want to lose you." Distance? My God, I _was_ pulling away from her. 

"Claire...I..." I sputtered. "I...I am so sorry." I pulled her close to me, and I leaned my head on top of hers. "Please...don't think I'm trying to distance myself from you. I can't do that. I _won't_ do that" I saw her eyes close, and she smiled.

"God, I love you so much," she said. 

"I know," I told her. "And, of course, you know that I love you even more." She leaned her head back against my shoulder, and I rested mine on top of hers. Touching, isn't it. For a moment (that seemed like an eternity), I felt at peace...and everything was serene. Quiet. Peaceful. Even somewhat...normal. But as things come, they must go, and such was as with this event. I heard a loud cough, and we were startled by Ark. He stood, leaning up against the doorway, with a coy smile on his face.

"If I ain't interrupting something," he said, very smugly. "Chris has called a team meeting. You may want to take a rain check on the tonsil hockey and come in and listen." With that said, he flashed me a wink, and left the room. Claire had turned beet-red, and she stood up.

"Sometimes..." she began. "I really hate that guy!"

I just sat back and smiled. 

_Trevor:_

_Hostile Intentions: 10:30 PM, Lansing, Michigan_

"Yes, sir, we followed your orders to a 't', sir," I spoke into the cell phone. President Wesker, although we had pulled the mission off without a hitch, seemed unhappy.

"What about the Redfields, Valentine, Oliveria, Hartford, and Kennedy?" Albert asked. 

"Both Redfields accounted for, along with Valentine, Hartford, and Oliveria. Kennedy was not on the premesis, sir," I replied. I didn't understand completely the president's thinking. Why not kill them all, and bring that freak Hartford back with us? Instead, we were stuck with the brats from hell. 

"Where are you at?" he asked.

"Just outside the city, sir. The chopper will be on the premesis ETA 10 minutes," I answered.

"Good job, Commander Peters. Thank your team as well," he said as he hung up. I turned the phone off, and threw it down. I stepped back out of the cockpit, and back into the personell carrier with the remainder of my RAID Omega Squadron: there was Geoff Burke, our weapons specialist, a tall, lanky black-haired man; then there was Vic Sparks, our resident sniper and covert op expert, a medium-tall bald guy, heck he was about 40-something; Nathan Myers, a short redhead, was our communications guru; and rounding out the strike force was Calvin Adams, a demolitions expert if you ever did see one. He was awfully recluse, and he really didn't want anything to do with anything that didn't have to do with his next job.

"That was the prez, guys," I said. "He wanted to congratulate you."

"Fuck him," Geoff said, with a thick British accent. "That bastard didn't have to deal with these little shits!" he shouted as he pointed at the children: 3 girls: about 16, 12, and 8; and a little boy, about 12 or thirteen years old. Geoff was right...they were pains in the ass...literally. My butt was probably bruised three or four different ways, thanks to them. Nathan's face was red, where the oldest girl, Amy Kennedy, had slapped him. But, most of the attempted bites, punches, and kicks were deflected thanks only to our body armor. But still enough, the kids had hammered at us, and quite frankly, it was really starting to get to me. Daycare wasn't my business.

"I agree, Geoff," Nathan said. "I don't see why the hell Wesker wants these brats."

"Something about a Redfield guy," Calvin said. "The boss wants them for some reason. I think it's to act as bait." 

"You know, Cal," Vic started in. "You're _really_ good at stating the obvious." I swear, Vic really enjoyed taunting Cal, probably Cal would just cower down and take it. But not tonight.

"Listen, you old screwball," Cal stated. "Don't start any shit with me tonight."

"What's wrong, kiddo? Can't take the heat?" Vic replied. Cal jumped up, and I caught the glimpse of a combat knife in his hand.

"HEY, SIT DOWN!" I shouted. Cal looked at me, and sheathed his blade back in the sheath on his belt. Vic just sat back, and laughed. 

"Same goes for you, sergeant," I said, scorningly. Vic looked at me, and gave me a sly look.

"Well, looks like Mr. Big shot commander is _under control_," he said.

"Enough, Vic," I said. 

"Hey!" I turned, and Gary Wallace, our pilot, was shouting.

"What?" I shouted back.

"We're getting ready to land, so y'all get strapped back in!" he shouted, with a dominant southern accent.

"You heard the man! Strap up!" Nathan shouted. We did, and began to feel the descent of the chopper, and then the soft _thud_ of the landing. We stood up, and I turned to the kids.

"All right, let's go!" I shouted. "One at a time, no funny stuff!" We saw the spiteful looks they gave us, but they followed orders, suprizingly without much prompting. We stepped out onto the dimly lit helicopter pad, and I saw the president waiting for us, in his typical black three-piece and his dark sunglasses.

"Welcome back, Commander Peters," he said. "And to the rest of Omega squadron. Very good job, boys."

"Thank you, sir." Cal replied with a sharp salute. The kids looked frightened, and they had every right to be. 

"These the ones?" Vic asked. Wesker had a folder, and he opened them.

"Hmmm..." he whispered. "Birkin, the Kleins, and Kennedy....good job fellas. You got the right ones." Sometimes, his cool nature just...bothered me.

"So what's your planning here, sir?" I asked.

"We're going to lure their adult counterparts here," he said. He gave a signal, and more of the RAID members, probably somewhat new recruits, took the children, and took them to a black van on the other side of the pad. I signaled my team to follow, but President Wesker stayed.

"Oh, Chris," I thought I heard him whisper. "You're in deep shit now." He then broke out in a soft chuckle, and turned to the black Chevy Blazer on the other side of the pad.

_Leon:_

_Let It Roll: 11:30PM_

"All right, folks," Chris said, as he sat at the head of the dining room table. "Thanks to Seth and Ark's efforts, we have accessed a map of the Bio-Port facility in Lansing. The conference room that Wesker wants to meet us in, is up here on the 3rd floor. An unarmed, but wired, team will meet with him. The info will be relayed to the second team, which will be armed to the brim and ready to go at the first sound of trouble. Jill, Barry, Seth, and I will make up team one. Leon, you will lead the second team, comprised of Claire, Carlos, and Ark."

"Gotcha," I said.

"OK, guys. We have one objective, and ONLY one objective," Chris said again. "We have to get in, get the kids, and get out of there...quickly and without bloodshed. Now, listen close."

We all gathered in around Chris and the map.

"OK," he began. "Leon, your team will wait at a distance that is unsuspicious, but at one where you could easily penetrate the compound quickly. As shown by the map, there is an unguarded entrance here, near the vehicle compound. If you can get in, then pass quickly through the back and to the cargo elevator, take it to the third floor."

I nodded, and Chris turned to the other three that would accompany him.

"Listen. No weapons in, hopefully Wesker won't try to start anything. If so, we got the others out there waiting for us," he said. Barry looked distressed at the mention that he would be encountering his old captain without his Python .45 with him, but he nodded.

"Get some rest, folks." Chris looked worn out. "We have a real big day in store for us tomorrow." He gave a brief wave, and took off up the stairs towards his room. Seth had already crawled off, and Barry grabbed his bags and took off after Chris. Jill headed down the hall, and that left Claire and I. 

"We need to get some sleep," I said as I went to the living room. I didn't go in right away, and I saw a distressed look in Claire's eyes.

"Leon...I'm worried," she said. I went over to her, and took her hands in mine.

"Don't worry. We'll be together, no matter what happens," I replied, trying to be reassuring.

"I know, but I'm worried...worried about you and what might happen," she said, referring to what I believed what happened after the raid in Lebannon.

"Don't worry," I said. "I drove that crazy son-of-a-bitch out of my head." 

She lowered her head, and laughed. A sweet, musical laugh that goes straight to my heart.

"Dammit, why do you have to be so funny?" she chuckled.

"I don't know, but if it makes you happy, then that's what I'll be," I said as I kissed her cheek. She looked at me with a smile that could melt iron, and I drew her close to me.

"Now, we need to get some sleep," I said. She kissed my cheek, and headed towards the staircase.

"Hey!" I shouted out.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I love you."

_Leon:_

_Operation: Snakebit Commences- 6:00 AM, Northchester Villiage, New York. 7 hours until Deadline_

We chose a little town on the western border of the state, called Northchester Villiage. It was a quiet little burg, just the perfect place for a fugitive strike team to assemble. Barry's chopper was on a private pad near the town, but only Chris' team would be flying in. My team was stuck with a large cargo van, stocked to the brim with monitoring equipment, weaponry, and tactical gear. Barry claims he got ahold of it from his buddy, who happens to be the captain of the Albany S.T.A.R.S. branch, Captain Jerry Greene. Frankly, I didn't give a damn, as long as it would get us there. Chris pulled into a local resteraunt, we piled out, and went inside. We filed into a little booth in the back, and Chris pulled out a map. A young waitress came over to the table, and put down several glasses of water.

"What can I get you today?" she asked.

Chris looked over at a little chalkboard, and saw that the daily special was cheap.

"What's the special?" he asked.

"A large omelet, Western style," the waitress answered. Chris looked back at the rest of us, and we all nodded to him.

"Give me eight of 'em," he said. 

"Anything to drink?" she asked.

"Coke, please, with all of them," Chris answered. She smiled and nodded, and headed back for the kitchen. 

"OK guys, here we go," he said, unfurling the map. It was a map of the Bio-Port facility, and the surrounding area.

"Barry, Jill, Seth, and I will enter here," he said, pointing to the main entrance. "Wesker is expecting us, so his guards should let us through. We will take this elevator to the meeting. As I said before, we will be unarmed. But we will be wired. So," he said, as he pointed at a red 'X' on a street near the facility. "Claire, Leon, Carlos, and Ark will be waiting here in the van, waiting for our signal. Once Wesker's motives are clear, then we will give the signal, and Leon, your team will come busting in, get the kids, and get us the hell out of there." I looked at him, and nodded.

"Gotcha, chief," I said in my best fake Brooklyn accent. Chris shook his head, and Claire laughed. Chris got his 'dammit, let's get serious and do this right' look on his face, and turned up to Jill, Barry, and Seth.

"OK guys, Leon's getting us to the airfield, and then we're on our own until then," he said.

"Hey, bro!" Claire shouted.

"Yeah, what is it?" he answered.

"What's the signal?" she asked.

"What, you can't tell?" he laughed back.

"No, what is it?" she asked again.

"Oh, shit!"

"What??"

"That's it, Claire, 'Oh shit!'" 

_**Oh, Shit is right, Chris ol' buddy, because these people don't know what they're dealing with. In fact, neither do you. So, I guess you'll have to wait for chapter seven to find out!**_


	7. Shadows of the Past, Visions of the Futu...

AS COLD BLOOD RUNS

**AS COLD BLOOD RUNS**

**CHAPTER SEVEN: SHADOWS OF THE PAST, VISIONS OF THE FUTURE**

_Chris: _

_Welcome to Hell: 11:35 AM, South of Lansing, Michigan_

I leaned back in the copilots seat, and closed my eyes. Shitshitshitshitshit. _Am I crazy_, I asked myself. _Am I going to flip out like my sister's boyfriend, Leon whatchamacallit? _Hell, I had to be crazy, leading some piteous damn rebellion against a humongus international corporation with strong foreign ties. Especially two of them. _Fuck_. And even worse, I am going up against a man I once called 'sir', who now was no better than those bioweapon freaks that he paraded around. But then was he ever?Hell, if I could actually get my hands on that little....

"Hey, chief, wake up," Jill chided as she poked my arm. I sat up, and took a good look at who was poking me. Kinda tall; soft, brunette hair and matching eyes, a body that could drive any man wild...

_HEY!_ I screamed at myself. _That's your partner and best friend you're talking about!_

I coughed, and diverted my gaze downwards. I felt my face turn beet red, and I shook my head.

"Yeah, what's up?" I roughly said.

"We're landing in ten minutes. What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked, a coy smile playing across her thin, red lips.

_Dammit, Chris, don't say a word...don't get yourself into more than you can get out of!_

"Nothing...nothing's wrong. I just dozed off."

"Christopher Daniel Redfield, you know damn good and well that this isn't the time to be slacking," she laughed.

"How the hell...you know my middle name?!" I shouted.

"It would suprise you with what I know."

_Jill:_

_Face it, Jillie. You're in love with that boy._

Dammit, I am. I never could understand it, but I just...am. The logical part of me, Dick Valentine's daughter, the one that should have died in the Spencer Estate, warned me about ruining the best friendship I'd ever had. 

But then, my heart speaks louder than my mind. I was confused. And in love with my best friend.

"Ten minutes, you say?" I looked over, and Chris had put his shades back on, with the S.T.A.R.S ballcap he refused to get rid of, even with their evident betrayal of the remaining Racoon City S.T.A.R.S. Even with those dense amber sunglasses, I could feel his deep brown eyes penetrating my very soul.

_Dammit, I'm _really_ in deep for this one. _

"Yep," I answered, trying to focus on the chopper's controls. But for some reason, I couldn't shake him from my mind.

"You ready for what could happen?" he said as he put a hand on my shoulder. I shivered, his touch electric.

"Hey, I got one helluva bodyguard, right?" I laughed as I put my hand on top of his. He lowered his head, and I saw that smile, the smile that I loved so much, that sizzled through my body like a thousand volts of electricity.

_Hold your tongue, Jill. Don't you dare say a word!_

"I'd say so, with the dynamic duo back there," he said as he pointed at Barry and Seth, the poor 19 year old that Umbrella had fucked up with their G-Enesis Serum. Barry was a weightlifter if I'd ever seen one (he could max on bench around 295 pounds), but Seth was still bigger. Both were conversing back and forth: I hadn't seen Barry so happy since before the Spencer incident. I turned back towards Chris, and saw he was checking out a GPS monitor.

"We best get ready," he said. "Prepare for descent...into hell."

Out of the glimpse of my eye, I saw a glint of shiny steel under Barry's vest.

_Leon:_

_Gateway to Hell: 11:40, 1/4 mi. from Bio-Port HQ, Lansing, Michigan. 20 minutes to deadline._

"OK, people, get suited up," I said as we attempted to move around the crowded van. I had my RPD body armor on, with a heavy SKS semi-auto assauld rifle. Claire was in black body armor, imblazened with the S.T.A.R.S. logo on the right shoulder and a Remington M1600-A 10ga. shotgun strapped across her shoulders. Carlos was in his UBCS body armor, but any indication of the Umbrella logo was covered with black electrical tape. Ark was in government-issue S.W.A.T. fatigues, and both of them brandished M16s that Barry's friend in the S.T.A.R.S had gotten ahold of.

"Think we got enough?" Ark asked me.

"Hell, no I don't," I breathed as I handed each member of my team a Desert Eagle .50AE magnum pistol. How the hell Barry got this kind of firepower, I can't figure out, but I prayed it would work. 

"Carlos, get the radio's up. I want to hear absolutely _everything. _Ark, get those monitors rolling," I ordered. They nodded, and set to work. I plopped into a small chair close to the monitoring equipment, and closed my eyes. 

_(We're in some deep shit now, Mr. Leader.)_

_No, not you. Go away!_

_(Leon, you're asking part of yourself to leave. How dumb are you?)_

_Listen. You scared the shit out of everyone once. And now, my life is on the line. GET THE HELL OUT!_

_(Leon, I'm not going to hurt you. I can't hurt myself.)_

_Bullshit._

_(We can work together. We can survive.)_

_And what about the others? What about Amy? What about Claire??_

_(If we work together, I assure you....they will survive.)_

_All right..._

_(Now, we work as one.)_

A light flashed across my eyes, and all of a sudden, I knew everything would be all right. Claire plopped down beside me, and put a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"Worried?" she whispered.

"Not anymore," I answered.

"Well," she said as she intertwined her fingers with mine. "I am."

"I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe, my love," I replied soothingly.

"I know. You always have," she said as she leaned her head against my shoulder. I could feel the warm trickle of tears flowing from her face.

"Don't cry. Everything will be..."

"Leon!" Ark shouted. "Movement in sector four! They're here!"

"Carlos!" I commanded as I jumped up towards Ark. "Commence radio test!"

"Si, senor!" he shouted back. "Alpha one, this is Echo four. Alpha one, this is Echo four. Do you copy?"

"Copy Echo four." came a whisper from Chris: silent, but determined. "Alpha Team accounted for."

"Roger Alpha one," Carlos replied.

"Echo one, do you copy?" I heard Chris calling for me.

"Roger, Alpha one," I answered.

"Keep her safe." I knew damn good and well who he was talking about.

"Roger that, Alpha one. Good luck."

_Chris:_

_15 minutes to deadline_

"Roger that, Alpha one. Good luck." And with that, we approached the gates. A guard in a snappy blue uniform acosted us.

"State your business, sir." he snapped.

"Confidential matters with President Wesker," I answered.

"Show your credentials, please!" he replied.

I pulled a fake passport Wesker had supplied us. Jake Aeroman, security captain of Bio-Port Pharmeceuticals in Shannonville, New Hampshire. The guard looked at it suspiciously, and then got on the radio. He then handed me back the ID card, and saluted.

"Yes sir, captain. The president is waiting in the Third floor, RAID office." I signaled for the others, and they reluctantly followed.

Our feet clamped along the stone pathway through the front yard of the facility, and it was more like an elaborate garden. We were dressed casually, t-shirts and blue jeans, but Barry had worn his S.T.A.R.S. issue vest for some reason. I couldn't tell. Hell, it was Barry.

"OK guys. Get ready for anything...and I mean _**anything**_," I stressed as we entered the twin glass doors. Jesus, the inside was just as elaborate as the exterior. Inlaid brick, stained-glass windows, the whole nine yards. I gave a signal to the team, and we entered a large elevator. I punched the button for the third floor. Jill was heavily breathing, Barry was sweating, and from the shiny elevator wall, I could see my face turned pale. Only Seth looked calm and collected. If Wesker pulled something, I felt only Seth had a chance. I heard a musical bell, and the doors slid open. A set of large wooden doors lay before us, with a bronze plaque next to them.

"Reconnasance, Assault, and Informative Directive (RAID) Office"

_Great,_ I thought. _Bio-Port's little version of the UBCS._ I opened the door, trying to breathe normally. The remaining Racoon S.T.A.R.S. looked pale, were breathing heavily, and were sweating profusely. Seth, however, had his usual cool demeanor as the door creaked open. It was a typical conference room, with monitors and screens along the walls and a large table with chairs lined across it. One chair was at the head of the table, and was swiveled around, and the back was facing us. Somehow, I knew who sat in that chair.

"Ah, Lieutenant Redfield. So good to see you again," with that, the chair swiveled around. Albert Wesker sat in it. In a three piece with his typical slicked-back hair and black shades. "Jill, Barry, looking good." he added.

"Enough bullshit, Wesker. Where are the kids?" I nearly shouted.

"Still the same, Chris. Always ready to get down to business. Take a seat," he said, as he gestured towards the chairs. Reluctantly, the others sat, but I stood at the other end of the table, glaring at a man I once considered a friend, who now held my life in the balance.

"I see you have what we want. Now, for the prize. Commander, bring in the children!" as he said that, a false wall slid up, and a tall, built black-headed man brought in Sherry, Lily, Rott, and Leon's kid sister, Amy.

"All right. Get your blood sample, and let us go," Seth said, as he rolled up his sleeve.

"Not so fast, Mr. Hartford. I have a question for you all," he said, as more armed soldiers entered the room. "Why would I let some _valuable_ hostages like yourselves go?"

"Oh shit..."

_Leon:_

"Oh shit..." Chris' voice crackled over the radio. I jumped up, and signaled the others.

"There it is, guys!! They're in trouble!" I kicked open the back doors of the van, and we rushed out. We broke into clear sprint, and within 2 minutes, we were at the gates. 2 guards stood, armed only with Beretta .385's. We crouched into some bushes, and I raised up my SKS, and fired two silenced shots, both penetrating each of their skulls. I waved the others forward, and we kicked down the gates. There was a large shed next to the building, I just prayed there wasn't more in there. 

"Carlos, Ark. Check them, try to find an ID card," I ordered. They did, and both of them came up with one. Ark handed me his, and I swiped it through the reader at the door to the main building. 

(Ching!!) The door slid open. We entered down the dimly-lit, white hallway, only to be encountered by three more soldiers. Claire blew off one's arm with her shotgun, and Ark and Carlos finished the other two. I gave the one-armed soldier a swift and timely death with a head shot from the SKS. We continued to run down the gloomy corridor, past several doors that looked like personell bunkers, and soon came to the cargo elevator. I punched the 'open' key, and the doors quickly slid open. We rushed in, and Ark punched the button to the third floor. The ride was noisy, but swift, and the doors swished open to a more brightly lit, carpeted white hallway. A set of wooden doors burst open in front of us, and we saw armed soldiers leading Jill, Barry, and Chris out. 

"DUCK!" I shouted. The three of them got down, and the soldiers looked confused, until they saw us, and then they tried to bring up their weapons in time, but soon collapsed into pools of blood. The others ran over to us, and we untied them.

"Seth, where the hell is Seth?" I breathed.

"Wesker took him to the lower basement levels," Jill sighed. "We gotta stop him." Chris signaled for the others to pick up weapons from the fallen troops. Jill and Chris both picked up twin AK-47s, and lots of ammo for both. Barry stood there, and Chris looked confused.

"Barry? Don't you need a gun?" he asked.

"I have THIS!" he said as he pulled out his Colt Python .45 magnum.

_Seth:_

_Meeting my destiny_

"Get in there, 'til the Prez wants ya," the big southern guard said as he threw me into a dank, dark cell. I stood up, and looked around, and found only a flat, stone-cold bed and a metal shitter.

"Fuck," I breathed. I had sacrificed myself, and for nothing. "I really fucked this one up." I went and sat over on the rock-hard bed, and buried my hands in my face.

"Leon; Claire; oh, shit, I failed everyone!" I exclaimed. I sat there for what seemed like forever, but then was startled by a scream.

"AAAHHHHHH! GET OFF OF ME, DIRTBAG!!" Holy shit, something's going on! I rushed over to the thin wall, and put my ear to it. I heard a laughing old guy, and the screaming and pleading of a young girl.

"Shitshitshitshit! What do I do?" I thought. Finally, I got a vision. I walked to the very back corner of the room, and turned to the wall.

"Here goes nothing," I breathed as I sprinted for the wall, with my shoulders lowered. I busted through the concrete wall with little resistance. And what I saw horrified me. I saw a young redhead, no more than 18 or 19, with an older guard attempting to rape her. When the concrete wall busted, he snapped his head up, and his face turned white. His tan uniform pants were thrown on the other end of the cell, and he was in his unbuttened uniform shirt and his white brief underwear. I walked over, and gripped his throat, and raised him to face me.

"Listen...you...sick...bastard..." I whispered. "Give me your keys and your gun...and maybe I won't kill you for your sick shit!" He nodded, and pointed at his pants, and his face was turning purple. I put him down, and he handed them to me. I picked him back up, and threw him into the other cell. I walked over to the girl, who was shaking and trembling. I kneeled in front of her, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's OK now. We're free," I soothingly said. "What's your name? Mine is Seth."

"Rebecca...Rebecca Chambers. Are you an angel?" she asked.

I laughed. "No," I said. "I'm a bioweapon." She looked at me weirdly, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? I thought all bioweapons were rotting killing machines?" she asked.

"Yeah, well, that's what they want from me. They started injections, but thanks to the survivors of Racoon City, they didn't finish..." I said, but she interrupted me.

"Wait...Racoon City? I'm a survivor of Racoon!" she shouted. "Is Chris or Jill with you? Or what about Barry?"

"Yeah, they're all here. Now here," I said, handing her the pistol. "Let's go find them." We took off up the stairs, and encountered a locked door.

"Here's where I come in," I joked as I ripped the door off the hinges. We came through, and saw we were on the ground floor. Two guards were coming after us, and I jumped in Rebecca's way. 

"Stay behind me!" I shouted as they started firing. Bullet after bullet pierced my skin, but I kept running toward them. I caught both of them by the helmet, and threw them through the concrete wall. They wouldn't be running anywhere, any time. I then crouched by a wall, and fell to a knee. For once in almost two years, I felt pain.

"SETH!" Rebecca screamed as she ran towards me. She placed a hand on my shoulder, and started panicking.

"Holy shit, you're bleeding," she whispered. She tried to rip my sleeve off and make a bandage.

"No...I'll be fine," I answered.

"Bullshit, I'm a combat medic....what the?!" she stood back, held aghast as I began to heal myself. The muscles in my back that had been pierced by the bullets began to contract, and the shells started to fall out of me. Then, I felt the torn tissue reforming, and my skin stretching over the wounds. Within thirty seconds, the only signs that I had been shot was the blood on my shirt.

"Oh shit...I've never seen anything like that..." she whispered.

"I told you. I'm a bioweapon. Umbrella introduced me to a serum that increased my size, strength, and gave me the ability to heal myself, along with heightened senses of smell, hearing, and sight," I said as I stood back up.

"Oh God," she whispered. "That means...you're a..."

"Tyrant-class," I answered. "B.O.W. Classification number 63841-MO-8412-GNWB, Project: Genesis."

"And you still retain human capabilities?" she asked.

"I can still feel pain, joy, happiness, love, all that. All I am is a genetically altered _human,_" I said, emphasizing human. Because no matter what Umbrella did to me, I was still **human**. I heard yelling and the stomping of feet, along with several familiar scents. It was the others.

"Seth! Are you ok?" Claire shouted.

"Oh my...BECKY?!" Barry shouted. Rebecca, or Becky, I guess, smiled, and jumped into Barry's arms.

"Howya doin'?" she asked. He just smiled. Chris and Jill both embraced their teammate, and then we turned back to what we first came to do.

"The kids..." Claire said.

"Kids? A guard brought four of them down to the cells, and they were brought down to a lower level than Seth and I were!" Becky shouted. We took off back down the stairs, and to the lowest level. There, a frantic Wesker stood, with a semi-auto machine gun pointed towards the kids.

"Another move...they die," he said. The others were his attention, and I grabbed a sharp piece of iron.

"Duck!" I yelled. They did, and I flung the iron, and it pierced Wesker's firing hand.

"SHIT!" he yelled as he dropped the gun, blood oozing out. His shades fell off...

_Those eyes..._

Eyes...like those of a cat...

_I recoginze...._

"Get the kids!" I shouted. "I'll take care of Wesker!"

Leon and Claire did, and I grabbed Wesker by the throat. Gee, I sure like doing that!

"Listen to me...stay away from us...or I'll come back for you." I flung him into a cell, and I locked the door.

"Now let's get the hell outta here," Barry said as we took off up the stairs.

We reached the top, and Amy was badgering Leon, Sherry was all over Claire, and Rott and Lily were with Ark. 

"Well I think we can get to the reunion later," I heard Leon say as he typed something into a nearby terminal. "Because we got one minute before this place goes up into flames." We all nodded, and ran for the exit. Because of the commotion of the alarms, we weren't noticed as we made our way through the facility as quickly as we could. Finally, we were in safe distance, and we turned to see the building erupt into flame and debris. Becky walked over to me, and leaned up against my tall frame.

"Thanks...for saving me back there," she said. I didn't say anything. I put an arm around her shoulders, and went into a trance of thought. Becky Chambers was a really special girl...someone I wanted to get to know much better.

_**Is it over?? Is it over?? NO!!! What happened to Wesker? What's going to happen between Becky and Seth? I guess you'll just have to wait for chapter eight of As Cold Blood Runs. STAY TUNED!**_


	8. Falling of Angels

As Cold Blood Runs

**As Cold Blood Runs**

**Chapter Eight: Falling of Angels**

_Seth:_

_Back on the road: 2:00 PM, Stone Lakes, MI. 45 miles from Lansing._

"...so in the end, I was the only survivor of Bravo team, and Chris, Jill, Barry, and Brad Vickers, our pilot, were the only survivors period," Becky told me as the SUV barrled down Highway 110-C towards the Michigan border. She was sitting in the back seat, next to me, and had told me basically her life story. 19 years old, a college grad at 17, assigned to the Racoon S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team at 18, and was kidnapped by the Bio-Port RAID team at Wesker's orders.

"What about you?" she said. "I want to hear your story, Superman." 

I heavily sighed, and began mine. My adoption (yes, I didn't mention that before, but I was adopted at 6 months of age), the murder of my family, and the injections up to when Leon and his friends rescued me.

"Oh my..." she said. "I'm so sorry..."

"Yeah, it was tough," I replied. "But I'm with a new family now." Which was sorta true, especially in the short time Barry and I had known each other, we had become real close.

"So what ever happened to Brad?" Becky asked Chris. Chris and Jill looked at each other with a sorrowful look, and I knew what happened. But so did Becky.

"Oh..." she said, in a little period of mourning. But she quickly regained her bright composure, and turned back to me.

"So where are we going now?" she asked.

"Manhattan, to pick up our gear," Leon answered. "Then we're getting the hell out of there." I nodded in agreement. 

"So where we gonna hide?" I asked.

"We're meeting my parents at Albany," he replied, and I remembered. We sent the Kennedys to Ark's ranch home in Albany to protect them from RAID.

"Good idea," I said. I leaned back, and closed my eyes. Today had been a rough day. And it was about to get worse.

"Hey, you asleep?" Becky prodded after a few minutes.

"Trying," I replied. I felt a warm mass up against myside.

"Hmmmmm...." I heard Becky whisper. "Smart idea." In a few minutes, I felt her breathing soften and level out. She was asleep.

_Leon:_

"Where we at?" I looked at the passanger's seat, and saw that Claire had waken up.

"About an hour from the house," I replied. "Sleep well?" I asked.

"Somewhat," she said as she looked back behind us. Chris, Jill, and Barry were in a heated discussion; Carlos and Ark were in the middle of a game of Blackjack, and the most suprising was Rebecca, the Bravo team member we rescued from the HQ and Seth both asleep, leaning on each other. "But it looks those two are doing much better."

"Hey," I mentioned. "If someone rescued you from being raped by an old guard, wouldn't you feel safe around him?"

"You've got a point," she answered, and curled back up and went to sleep.

_(I told you it would work.)_

_You again?! _

_(Yes, you again.)_

_Dammit, how am I going to get rid of you?_

_(You have a mission to accomplish, whether or not you accept it.)_

_And just what is that?!_

_(I'll see you tonight...)_

_WHAT?!_

_(I'll see you tonight...)_

See me tonight? Dammit, now I am really confused. I leaned back in my seat. 

_What's going on?_ I asked myself. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ _What kind of freak am I?_

_**BBBBBBRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNG!**_

"Holy shit..." I breathed.

_**BBBBBBBBRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNG!**_

"Hello?" I asked as I picked up my cell phone.

"Mr. Kennedy, nice to hear from you," Mick Stevens. Shitshitshitshit! "Nice work today," he said.

"How did you find out?!" I shouted. "This was kept confidential!"

"Oh really? You forget you have one of my agents in with you," he said, irritated.

"Ark..." I whispered. "How much did he tell you?!"

"Enough," he said. "What the hell possessed you to blow the damn thing up?!"

"I had to, all right," I said. "I had to get Wesker out of the picture so we can turn our focus back to Umbrella."

"Leon, how stupid are you?!" he shouted. "This just gives Wesker ammo! You are legally considered terrorists now!"

"Terrorists?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "Terrorists. Turn on your radio to 100.7, and listen to the news."

So I did. And what I heard shocked me.

"Earlier this morning, a band of terrorists struck at the headquarters of Bio-Port International, the manufacturer of several vaccines, including one used by the US military. Quoted CEO Albert Wesker at a late press conference this evening:

'This morning's incidents were extremely sorrowful, with the tremendous loss of life. We are taking all steps to apprehend the perpetrators, and I have made several phone calls. But we can't focus on the bad. Instead, I will say there will be good things to come...'

What good things, we don't know. But this reporter believes that it has something to do with rumors of Bio-Port purchasing rival corporation Umbrella, Inc. For KNVS news, this is Billy Gedd."

Holy shit. Wesker buying Umbrella?

"Listen," I said. "Can you help us?"

"You betcha," Stevens said. "The government is shaken over these rumors, and even on the outside you're looked at as a terrorist, those on the inside I've talken to see you as a hero. We'll move you to a nice place out of the public eye, and we'll fund your missions. We want to see both Umbrella and Bio-Port fall, just as you do."

"What about the kids?" I asked.

"They will be allowed to stay with you, but will be transported to an on-base facility when you're running missions," he said.

"All right," I said. "I'll meet you tomorrow afternoon."

"Cool," Stevens said. "And Leon...take care of yourself." I hung up the phone.

"Dammit guys, wake up, all of you," I shouted. "We got problems!" Everyone snapped to my voice, and looked forward. 

"What's going on, now?" Chris asked.

"Well, for starters, Wesker ain't dead," I said, and I heard mumbles of suprise. "We've been labeled terrorists, although inside of the government we're heroes, and Wesker's buying Umbrella."

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted.

"Yes, rumors have been circling around now that Umbrella and Bio-Port are going to merge." I answered

"Oh no..." Claire whispered.

"So what the hell we gonna do now?" Barry roared.

"Easy," I said. "We're joining the army."

_Lucky Strike: 4:45 PM_

"All right, people!" Chris shouted as we piled out of the Explorer. "We got one hour, and we're headed for Albany!" Claire and I dashed into the house, followed by Chris, Jill, Barry, Carlos, and the kids. Seth and Becky were still sleeping, and because they really didn't have anything in the house, we didn't bother them. But elsewhere, Claire was upstairs in the room she shared with Jill, Ark and I were getting our junk sacked up in the living room. Chris and Carlos were also packing, and Barry had a duffel bag full of stuff. But back to me and Ark.

"Hey," I said. "What was the big deal with ratting us out to Stevens?"

"I had my orders, Leon. I'm still a government agent," he said.

"Look," I said as I walked over to him, and stared him face-to-face. "Screw your orders. Wesker's alive, and now we're fugitives. We're in this together."

"Just like old times, eh?" he said. I gave him a quizzical look, and we both bust out laughing. Agent or not, we were still best friends.

"Come on," I said as I lifted the heavy suitcases. "Let's get the hell outta here." We were met in the foyer by Jill and Claire.

"You ready to go?" Jill asked us.

"You betcha," Ark answered. "What about the others?" 

"Amy and Sherry are loading their stuff with Rott and Lily, Barry's got his stuff out there, Seth and Becky are huddled up sleeping, and Chris and Carlos are..." Jill stated, but to be rudely interuptted by the sound of footsteps.

"...right here, _chica_," Carlos laughed as they came down the stairs. 

"All right, let's get this stuff loaded up. I'll be right out, I'm going to lock all my parents' stuff in the downstairs safe," I said.

"Don't be long," Claire said, briefly kissing my lips.

"I won't," I said. "Ark, get on the phone to my parents, tell them to get everything together and that we're coming to get them. Claire, get the van warmed up, and everyone get ready to leave," I said as I took one more large sack, and headed downstairs.

_Seth:_

I heard a large commotion behind me, and I sat up to look, trying not to wake Becky up. Chris and Carlos were loading stuff in the back.

"Hey keep it down!" I hoarsely whispered. "She's trying to sleep!"

Carlos coyly smiled at me. "Whatever you say," he smugly said. He and Chris started laughing. I just ducked my head, and tried to close my eyes again. But I was awakened again...this time, Becky shifted, and woke up.

"Good afternoon," I said.

"Same to you," she answered as she sat up. "I'm thirsty," she said.

"There should be some cokes inside," I said. "Grab one for me?"

"Sure," she said cheerfully. 

"Thanks," I said as I layed down in the seat, and she got out and headed for the house. I closed my eyes, and although I wanted to sleep, Becky was on my mind, and I couldn't. Dammit, I had never felt so much in my life. I really cared for her, but heck, I didn't know what to do. Just as I started to settle down, I heard a banging on the window. It was Barry.

"Hey bubba," he said. "How's it going?"

"Fine," I said as I sat up, and he sat down next to me. 

"Looks like it," he said, winking. 

"Not you too," I moaned.

"Just relax, bud. I ain't going to be like those asses loading our shit. I'm tellin' ya to go for it," he said.

"What? Go for what?" I asked, playing dumb.

"You know what I'm talking about," he told me. "I'm telling you, tell Becky how you feel,"

"God, Barry," I said. "I don't know. How can I tell if she feels the same way?"

"Trust me, kid." Barry said. "I know Becky...I know she feels the same way."

"You sure?" I asked.

"You betcha," he said. "Something else, Seth. I want you to have this." He pulled a box out of his denim vest, and handed it to me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Open it," he said. I did...and what I found suprized me.

"Your Colt?" I asked.

"One of them," he said, pulling out the matching pistol. "My dad gave me these when I was 16. He said I should pass them on to my son. But being I have two daughters, I want you to have this."

"Thanks," I said, gripping the ivory grip.

"Just keep it in good condition. I want you to take care of it," he said as he exited the Explorer. 

_Becky:_

"Guys, I don't know what you're talking about," I persuaded as Jill and Claire acosted me in the in the kitchen. They somehow found out...found out my secret.

"Come on, Becks. You can't keep it in," Jill told me. "You gotta let him know sometime."

"Dangit, I've only known him for a few hours," I said. "And anyways, I don't even know if he feels the same way."

"AHA!" Claire triumphatly shouted. "So you admit that you do have feelings for him!"

"He saved my life," I tried to say.

"Uh huh, and you're in love with him," Jill said.

"Yeah, so what? You always told me that you liked Chris, and you never did anything about it," I said, and saw the look on Claire's face.

"Ohhhhhhhh..." she laughed. 

"Claire, you say one word to Chris and I swear to allmighty God I will rip your intestines out," Jill growled. Claire shut up, probably because she knew Jill ment business.

"Becky, don't make the same mistake I did," Jill said as she walked out the door.

"You know, Becky," Claire said. "I think this time, Jill is right."

With that, she walked out the door leaving me with two cokes and a bunch of jumbled thoughts.

_Seth_

_Time to move_

I sat in the Explorer, a Colt .45 in my hand and Becky Chambers on my mind. I didn't know what to do, what to say, but I knew I had to. So I put the Colt into the holster on my belt and headed for the house to talk to Becky. As I opened the door and was walking in, I ran right into Becky.

"Uh, hi," I said.

"Hey," she said, diverting her gaze. 

"Got the cokes?" I asked, trying to find the right moment.

"Uh....yeah," she said, acting unusually nervous around me. She turned, and headed for the door, but I had to stop her.

"Becky, wait," I said. "I need to get something off my chest." She stopped dead in her tracks, and turned around to look at me.

"What is it, Seth?" she asked.

"Well, I know I've only known you for a few hours..." I faltered, but I had to go on. "But I feel close to you. Close enough to say...I care for you, deeply." There. I said it. She stood there, looking at me, and then, I saw tears well up in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said as she ran over and jumped into my open arms. "Nothing's wrong anymore. In fact, everything's perfect."

_**Well, questions have been answered. Seth decided to come forward with his feelings, and Wesker, the little worm he is, survived and will soon make the survivors' lives a living hell. Stay tuned for Chapter nine, in which all hell breaks loose and a final battle will be schemed. Will this be the end of Umbrella, or the end of hope for the world?!**_


	9. The Root of Pain

As Cold Blood Runs

**As Cold Blood Runs**

**Chapter Nine: The Root of Pain**

_Leon:_

_Mysterious Calling: 10:30 PM, an hour from Albany, NY._

"...and no breaking news on the terrorist attack on the Bio-Port headquarters that occured this morning. There has been no official word on any Federal involvement, but Bio-Port's Security Monitoring Squadrons, the SMS, has been aiding local police with the investigation. This evening, at another press conference held by Bio-Port President and CEO Albert Wesker, the following quotes were taken:

'We have sent in our SMS forces this evening to aid local law enforcement with the investigation, and we will apprehend and see justice delivered to the perpetrators...'

Still no word on any suspects, or if any more of Bio-Port's security forces will be sent in..."

"You hear that, fellas?" Chris shouted, doing his best impression of a redneck. "We's all fu-ge-tives!"

"Knock it off, asshole," Claire snapped. "We're in some deep shit here."

"Jeez, calm down, sis!" Chris said, putting an arm on his sister's shoulder. "It isn't every day that you're a federal fugitive!"

"I think you better take her advice and calm down," Jill said, pulling him back into the seat.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, sounding like a young kid that had just been called down by his mother. I was too tired to pay attention.

"I think I need some rest," I said. It had taken us at least four hours to get away from the house, and we were still two hours from Albany. I was worn out.

"I'll drive for you, babe," Claire said. "I also think you need to get some rest." I nodded, sleepily, and pulled the Ford Explorer over on the shoulder of the rural highway. Claire and I swapped places, and we were soon on our way, and I was about to take the journey of a lifetime. My eyes closed, and I fell asleep.

_(Welcome to my world...)_

_What is this? It's so...foggy..._

_(Follow the light, Leon.)_

A single light shone through the dense fog.

_What's going on here?!_

_(I told you, Leon. I'd see you tonight. But now we're on my turf.)_

I walked closer, and I saw a shadowy figure. It was about my height, my weight, in a heavy tan trenchcoat. As I drew closer, I finally understood. I was looking at myself.

_What the hell..._

_(I told you before, Leon. We're one and the same.)_

_So...why are you here? What do you want from me?_

_(In Racoon City...you listened to me. You escaped. You lived. In Lansing...you did the same. Why do you doubt my reasoning?)_

_I listened to...you?! Oh my God, I've gone crazy._

_(No, Leon. I was created by yourself...a necessary element of your survival.)_

_Survival? I did pretty damn good on my own, thanks._

_(Leon, don't doubt me. Don't doubt yourself...trouble is brewing...mother and father are in trouble...)_

_WHAT?!_

_(You know, you should have never let them go alone.)_

_So what are you saying? _

_(You know what I mean...)_

_What the hell is going on? What's wrong with my family?_

_(Wait and see...)_

Holy shit...

"Hey, wake up," Claire said as she prodded me. I sat up, and tossled my long bangs out of my eyes. "Bad dream?" she asked. "You kept mumbling something, I couldn't tell what, though."

"How far are we?" I asked. "I think...I think that there is something wrong..."

"Nonsense," Claire said. "You're just worried, but everything will be all right, you'll see." I shook my head.

"I don't know," I said. "Just...just get this damn thing moving." 

Claire looked at me, and I saw something in her eyes I had never seen before.

"Oh, shit you did it now, Leon," Chris said. "Buckle up, and hold on, because this mutha is about to move!"

And trust me, it _moved_.

_A promise, sealed in blood: 12:30 AM_

"Turn here," Ark motioned to Claire as we pulled into a long gravel drive, heading to a spectacualar ranch home.

"Holy shit, dude!" Chris shouted. "You mean to tell me you live here?!"

"Yep, for a couple years now," Ark said. "Uncle Sam paid for it."

"Daaaaaaammmmmn," Chris said. "I'm sure glad we're working for the government now, we'll walk away millionaires!"

Claire kept up the long drive, but there was something wrong.

"Oh no..." I said. "The door..."

The glass in the door was shattered, and it had been pried open. I unsnapped my seatbelt, kicked open the door, and jumped out. I saw Amy was bursting in tears.

"Leon!!!" I heard Claire shout, but I didn't care. I took off running, which was kind of a chore in blue jeans and work boots, but I kept at it. I ran...

and I ran....

and I ran...

Finally, I reached the doorway, and I pulled the Desert Eagle my father gave to me out of my holster, and entered.

"MOM!!" I shouted. "DAD?!" I chambered a round, and barged into the foyer. Blood...all over the floor. A trail leading up stairs. I didn't care about anything else, I just ran up the stairs. As I took off up them, I heard the cocking of a pump shotgun, and I turned around. My sister stood at the base of the stairs.

"Let's go," she wept, and we ran up the stairs. More blood ran on the white carpeting, and a bedroom door was kicked in. I entered, and what I saw frightened me. My mother, in one of her trademark sundresses, layed dead, on the bed. My father was up against a wall, his khakis stained with blood, his shirt off, wrapped around his arm as a makeshift bandage. But bullet holes were ridden through his body.

"DADDY?!" Amy screamed. I ran over with her to my father, and could hear his labored breathing.

"Amy...oh, I thought I'd never see you again," he moaned. I knelt down by my father, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dad, come on, hang in there," I said. "Please, don't die."

"Leon, nothing can stop that now," he replied. "At least...I took a few of the bastards out with me," he laughed, as he pointed at some of the black-armored troops scattered around him.

"Who did this..." I breathed. "Who did this to you?"

"It was those Bio.....AARRRRRRGGGGGH," he shouted as he grabbed his chest. "Bio-Port. Wesker, I think."

"Where are they?" I asked as Claire, Chris, Barry, and Becky ran up. 

"Son," he told me. "Hunt them down...every last one of them..."

"I will, Dad, I will," I said, feeling fresh tears flowing down my face. I looked up, and saw Amy had her face buried in Claire's side, crying her heart out.

"Lee, take care of your sister," he said. "Make sure you always look out for her."

"Yes, Dad, I will," I said, feeling even more tears fall. 

"I was going to wait, until you were older, but, I think you need it now," he said as he reached in his pants pocket, and pulled out a set of dogtags, my father's from Vietnam.

"Give 'em hell, kid," he said as he punched my arm, and sank down into the eternal rest of death. I buried my face in my hands, and rocked back on my knees. I felt Claire's arms wrap around me, but I did nothing to return the show of emotion. My parents...killed...by that bastard Wesker.

"I'll kill him...with my BARE HANDS!" I shouted as I stood up. I put the dog tags around my neck, and went over to my sister, and wrapped my arms around her. I looked up at Chris, Barry, and Seth, who had recently arrived.

"Guys," I said. "Help me bury them, please." They nodded in agreement. And just as I was going to leave, I saw movement...a flash of black. One of them was still alive. I felt a new wave of hatred flush over me as I ran towards him. I picked him up by the neck, and slammed him hard against the wall. I unholstered my magnum, and held it to his temple.

"Give me one reason..." I growled. "Not to blow your god-forsaken head off right...now."

"Please," he cried. "Don't shoot me!"

"HOW MANY TIMES?" I shouted. "HOW MANY TIMES DID MY PARENTS BEG THE SAME PLEA YOU CRY RIGHT NOW?" 

"Wesker ordered it," he choked out. "He said he was doing this as a lesson..."

"I'm about to teach you a lesson," I said as I put my finger on the trigger.

"Leon, don't!" Clare shouted.

"Why not..." I growled. "Why not when he did the exact same thing to my father and mother?"

"Because then you would be no better than Wesker!" she shouted, and I realized she was right.

"You're lucky..." I said, as I threw him down to the floor. He stood up, grabbed his injured arm, and took off. I would never see him again. But then, I fell to my knees and broke down, crying. They would pay. They all would pay.

_7:30 AM_

I stood in front of the makeshift gravestones we had built for my parents out of old two-by-fours. Tears flowed down my face.

"I promise you..." I cried. "You will be avenged." 

"Leon?" I turned around, and I saw Claire.

"Hi," I muttered as I turned back around to face my parents' final resting places.

"I know this is so hard for you," she said as she wrapped her arms around my waist. "But, Leon, you still have Amy to think about, you have Sherry to think about, and you have me."

"Claire?" I asked.

"What, baby?" she replied.

"Whatever happens, I want you to know that I'll be there. No matter what," I said.

"Well, I know that," she said. "You haven't failed me yet."

"And I never will." With that, I turned around, and kissed her, praying that the world would just melt away and Claire and I would be the only ones left. For a while, it did. But right now, we had bigger fish to fry. And I wouldn't stop until my parents' murderers were met with swift justice...my type of justice. We released each other, and for a moment, I stood there, looking in her eyes, and I saw hope. Hope, that someday this would all be over, and that we could be together. I put an arm around her shoulders, and we began the walk back to the driveway. We were met by Ark, who had just got off the phone with our newest employer.

"Well, we got a plan now," he said as he turned to walk with us. "Bio-Port has let it slip that Wesker will be appearing at a dinner tomorrow night to celebrate the new merger of the two. They say the new company will be called Umbrella-NEO."

"I get it," I said, somberly. "We're up for party-crashing duty."

"Yep," he said. "With some government help, of course. Stevens is putting a team of 25 men with us...under your command."

"Well," I said. "Let's hope we don't disappoint the poor captain when we invite ourselves." Shit had hit the fan, now. And the war was just beginning.

_**Well, looks like they plan to cut the snake off at the head, huh? What will happen at the party? Does Wesker have a clue? Will Umbrella-NEO fall before it is even risen? To see the answers to these questions and more, stay tuned for chapter ten of As Cold Blood Runs.**_


	10. Speed and Snowballs

AS COLD BLOOD RUNS

**AS COLD BLOOD RUNS**

**CHAPTER TEN: SPEED AND SNOWBALLS**

_(A quick note: Discrepancies are rampant with the actual location of Racoon City. CAPCOM mentions that it is a midwestern city, and hints that it is close to Chicago, so I'm thinking it's in Illinois, where it is placed in this fic, although I've read that it is in New York, or even Pennsylvania. So, bear with me, and please don't let this take from your opinion of the fic. Thanks and enjoy!)_

_Leon:_

_A new Strategy: 8:00 AM, Thompson family home, outside of Albany, NY_

"All right, guys," Ark said as we all gathered around. "We need to take two vehicles, so who's going with who?"

"Claire and I will take the BMW," I offered as I signaled at my parents' sports car Dad was given as a gift from the NY southern precinct last year before he retired.

"I'm going with him," Amy said. "We lost our family...we're all we have left."

"And I'm going with Claire," Sherry said. Claire nodded; she was always protective of her.

"I'm going with my sister," Chris said. "Besides, I've always wanted to ride in a BMW convertable!"

"Sorry Chris," I said. "Top isn't going down in the middle of winter."

"Damn!" he shouted. Sometimes, he seemed really dull to me.

"I'll ride with Chris," Jill more than eagerly offered.

"OK, that's one group. So that leaves me, Seth, Becky, Barry, Rott, and Lily in the Ford, eh?" he laughed. "Well, we'll rendevouz with you guys back in the city," he said. "You agree, _Commander_?" he joked, making fun of my recent emergency commission.

"Yeah that'll work," I replied. "Remember: rendevouz in Crown Heights. Claire's got an uncle that can help us find the base, and then we'll continue on to Fort Renard. See you all later." We gave our goodbyes, and we parted ways. Ark and the others piled into the Explorer, and Claire, Amy, Sherry, Chris, Jill, and I turned towards the car. It was a silver BMW convertable (that registered 130 mph), but was amazingly big, because the six of us could fit inside and still have a lot of room. I turned, and saw that the Explorer already left.

"Always wanted one of these," Chris stated, and then his younger sister turned and gave him a look that could scare the hell out of the devil.

"Oh...sorry," he whispered. I buckled up, and saw the key was still in the ignition, thank God. 

"Get ready," I said as I started the engine. "Cause we're going." I slowly backed out of the driveway, and swerved the car around. I hit the clutch, and put it into first, and we sped off. I took the turn onto the highway going about 55. I slid through it, and threw it into second. Claire looked scared. Very scared.

_75...3rd._

_95...4th._

_110...5th._

I looked back to see the emotions of my passangers. Sherry was terrified, and was clinging to the pink "Made in Heaven" vest that hung over her blue sweater, and that covered part of her blue jeans. Chris was laughing like hell, Jill (as always) showed little or no emotion, and as stated before, Claire was scared shitless. Amy, well, she was like me. She didn't really give a damn as to what happened.

"Slow down, Leon," Claire said, clinging to the black leather jacket she was wearing.

I looked at her, and turned back to the road. I was catching up to the Explorer. Quickly.

"Leon," Claire said. "I don't think you're in the state to be driving so recklessly."

"Calm down, Claire," Chris said, still laughing like a maniac. He must have been enjoying this. "Just let him deal with it in his own way." 

She just shook her head, and slumped down in her seat. In a minute, I was wheel to wheel with Ark, and in a few more seconds, he was eating my dust. After I got around him, I decided to slow down, to about 75, which was the legal speed limit.

"Thank you," Claire spoke, matter-of-factly. I couldn't look at her, I just pulled my ball cap closer down to my eyes, and prayed to God that the pain would go away.

_Seth:_

"Did you see that maniac?" Becky shouted as Leon, in his silver BMW, came flying past us going at least 125.

"Hey," Ark snapped. "He's going through a lot of pain...I've known him for some 20-odd years, and I know he doesn't deal with pain very well."

"Well, he doesn't have to try to kill everyone else for it," Barry added. "What kind of leader is that?"

"A damn good one," I said, sticking up for the man who had saved my life...and allowed me to meet the woman of my dreams.

"He doesn't seem like it," Becky smirked. "I have a really bad feeling about this guy." I pulled her closer to me.

"Don't worry...Leon may seem kinda quirky," I said. "But he's a good guy."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Rott said. "But the crazy sonofabitch is going to get all of us killed."

"Rott!" Ark shouted from the front.

"Sorry..." he sheepishly said. I heard Lily giggle at Rott's obscene choice of vocabulary.

"Well, we really don't have a choice, do we?" I asked.

"Well..." Ark said. "No. We've all been given emergency commissions, and Leon is our commanding officer. So he's in charge...no questions asked."

"What about me?" Becky asked. "I'm not really a combat specialist, I'm just a biochemist."

"The boys in the Pentagon thought of that, so you've been commissioned as a lieutenant captain, in charge of a large biochemestry crew," Ark said. "Your basic duty is to figure out what it is behind these viruses, and figure out how to cure them."

"Just as I thought," she said. "At least I can help."

"Yeah, and not just us," I told her, trying to reassure her. "You could be saving the lives of millions of people."

"You know," she said, optimistically. "You're right. I could find a cure."

"Course you can, Beck," Barry said. "If there was anyone who could, it would be you."

"Yeah," I said. "You can do this."

"I know," she said. "I'm just worried about you guys."

"Ah, we'll be fine," Barry told her. "You know me, I fight like hell, or I die trying. I'm ready to kick some mutant ass."

"And sometimes I wonder where Rott gets it from," Ark muttered from up front.

_Leon:_

_A glimmer of Light: 3:30 PM: Crown Heights, NY; app. 80 miles from New York City, NY._

"Crown Heights...didn't even know such a town existed," I said as Claire showed me the exit ramp, and I took it.

"It's pretty small, but it's where we lived right before my dad died," Claire said. "I'm just wondering if Uncle Martin still lives here."

"You sure this uncle of yours can help us out?" I asked.

"Martin Rennigher is one of the most known names in guns and ammo around, even more so than those in the city," she said. "Trust me, he'll be able to get us to any military base in the state."

"Well, I've never heard of a Fort Renard," I said. 

"What about Renard?" Chris, who had finally woken up, asked.

"Fort Renard, where we're meeting Stevens," I said as I pulled into the town. 35 mph. Not fun in a Beemer. It was a small town, about 1000 population, one gas station and one grocery store type of town. Really calming...almost reminded me of my own home. Before we moved into the city. But I couldn't think of that now, not at the wheel, with the lives of five others, including the woman I loved, at stake. 

"Pull over here," Claire said as she signaled for me to pull over at the local 76 station. "Maybe we can get directions."

"I thought you used to live here," I said.

"Yeah," she argued. "When I was twelve!"

"Great..." I moaned. She hadn't been here in eight years...just perfect. She pulled her coat over her tightly and ran into the station. Thank God I'd kept the top up, because it looked cold. 

"Chris, do you even know where the hell we are?" I asked.

"Somewhat," he answered. "I turned eighteen when we lived in Pennsylvania in 1991, and I headed off for the Gulf with the Air Force. Mom's brother, Uncle Martin, convinced them to move down here, and he got my dad a construction job. He died five months after they moved here, and they stayed here for about a year before heading for the city. I got out of the Gulf in 1992, and a year later I was honorably discharged, after spending a few months in the Brig. But when I came back, they were gone and I finally heard from Claire two years later that Mom had died. I came back for the funeral, and took off again. I sent Claire a little cash every now and then, but I didn't see her for a couple years, until I got the job in Racoon City."

"Wow," I said. 

"Yeah, losing both parents in a span of four years can really get to you," he said. I couldn't see his eyes through the amber sunglasses, but I knew that they were filled with pain. Such as I believed mine were. I decided to change the subject...quickly.

"The others still asleep?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think," he said. He took his dark green S.T.A.R.S. jacket off, and layed it over Sherry, leaving him in a thin black sweatshirt. He had a painful look on his face, and I could tell it wasn't exactly emotional.

"Well, I need to take a shit," he laughed. "Bad." With that, he jumped out of the car, and sprinted towards the gas station, nearly running over Claire as she came walking back.

"Problems?!" I heard her laugh.

"Not now, Claire, not now!" he shouted. She shook her head, and walked back to the car and opened the door.

"Looks like he's on the run...literally," she laughed. She turned and snapped her seatbelt back on, and turned back to look at the other three passangers...all asleep. 

"Well, looks like your reckless driving didn't seem to bother them any," she laughed.

"Where are we?" I turned back, and saw my sister waking up.

"Crown Heights, about an hour out of the city," I said.

"Or fifteen minutes, if your brother is driving," Claire replied. Amy started to laugh a little and I looked at Claire with a irritated look, and Claire decided it best to shut up.

"So where are we heading?" Amy asked.

"Fort Renard, some rinky-dink fortification outside of the city somewhere, I'm not really sure," I said. "I've never even heard of it, much less going to serve there." I heard the little bells on the door of the gas station ring, and saw Chris dashing, trying not to slide across the ice. He slowed down to a skid, and unfortunately, skidded right past the car, and slipped and fell right on his ass. Claire, Amy, and I jumped out of the car, and we saw him slide on his ass right into a light pole. Amy and I ran to help him, but Claire stood and laughed.

"Hahaha, get what you deserve, asshole," she laughed at her brother.

Chris jumped up, and saw that there was fresh snow on the ground. He turned his back, and I saw him pick up a snowball, but Claire was headed back for the car.

"Hey, Claire," Chris yelled. She turned around, put her hands on her hips, and glared at him.

"What now?" she asked.

"Catch!" Chris shouted, and threw the snowball, which pelted her in the face.

"Wha?!" she shouted as she wiped her face. "Oh, you're asking for it now, you bastard!" She rolled a snowball of her own, and threw it at him. Unfortunately, I was the one who was hit.

"Hehe, good shot, sis," Chris busted out. I turned to Claire, gave her a sneaky smile, and picked up a snowball of my own.

"Hey...now, I didn't mean to hit you," she laughed, backing up.

"Right..." I groaned. I hatched back...

caught my aim...

and swiftly pivoted around and got Chris right in the face.

"What the hell?!" he shouted. "She hit you! I didn't!"

"I know, but you're the only one who hasn't got it," I said. "Oh, wait! You just did!"

That sent Claire into hysterics.

"All right, _children,_" I turned back towards the car, and saw my sister poking her head out. "If you're done with your little games, we have some serious work to do."

"Aw, shuddup!" I shouted, as I launched a snowball, nailing her right into the face.

"LEON?!" she shouted. "I can't believe you!"

"Damn, didn't work," Chris joked. "Leon, you missed the mouth."

"Yeah, I know," I laughed. 

"UUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" she groaned, and got back into the car.

"You know, she's right," I said.

"Yeah," Claire moaned. "But I had more fun than I've had in a long time." I walked over and put an arm around her shoulder.

"I agree," I said as we walked back to the car.

"You know, there's not supposed to be any fraternizing between military officers," Chris said.

"Does it look like we're on base?" I laughed. 

"Jesus," Chris griped.

We climbed back into the car, and saw that Sherry and Jill were_ still_ asleep.

"God, those two could sleep through World War III," I said.

"I don't think so..." Chris answered. "Cause we're probably going to start WWIII." I turned the key on, and put the car into drive.

"Well, at least we got the army behind us," I stated as I hammered out of the parking lot. I got to the turn lane, and had to hit the brakes hard as an old Lincoln Continental pulled right out in front of me.

"Holy shit!" I shouted, and I was still flying forward, and bashed my head on the steering wheel. 

"What the hell is that guy smoking?" Amy said.

"Well, at least there isn't a tanker barreling towards us," Chris laughed, much to the distress of Claire and me, who have actually experienced it.

"Never mind that," I said as I got the car back on the road. "Claire, do you know where the hell we're going?"

"Yeah, it's just down this road, turn right onto a street called Granite Falls Blvd., and find the shop," she said. "It's called Specialty Sporting Goods."

"Specialty Sporting Goods..." I repeated. Sporting goods? Heck, we needed a damn tank right about now. "You _sure_ this guy will know where Ft. Renard is?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure, Leon," Claire answered, sounding a little annoyed. I shrugged, and turned back to the road. I hammered the gas, and flew down the road. 

"Uh, Leon?" I heard my sister in the back.

"What?" I asked.

"I think you just passed a cop going 55 in a 35 zone," she said. Oh shit, I thought. Definately not something we need right now.

"Is he following?" I asked.

"Doesn't look like it," Chris said, turning back.

"Hey, hand me the phone," I told Claire. She reached in the glove compartment, and handed my the cell phone. I quickly dialed Ark's number.

"Hello?" For some strange reason, Seth had the phone.

"Seth, where you guys at?" I asked.

"Just entering Crown Heights, why?" he replied.

"Listen, we're heading for Chris and Claire's uncle's shop, so you need to follow the road to Granite Falls Blvd., and look for Specialty Sporting Goods, we'll be there waiting," I told him.

"All right, see ya then," he said. I closed the phone, and put it in my pocket.

"Granite Falls, there it is," Chris signaled and I turned down the road. The four of us kept our eyes peeled for the store, but it wasn't there. We drove for at least fifteen minutes down the road, passing overly expensive houses, and didn't see anything. But Amy caught sight of it.

"Hey, there it is!" she said, and sure enough, Specialty Sporting Goods sat on the right side of the road. An old 1988 Chevy truck sat on the side of the road, and Claire recoginzed it immediately.

"He still has his old truck," she said. "I don't believe it." I parked the car behind the truck, and turned it off.

"OK, wake them up, but we're going to wait until Ark and the others get here," I told them. Claire seemed excited, but Chris seemed impartial.

"I don't believe this," she said. "I'm finally getting to see Uncle Martin again. Aren't you excited, Chris?"

"Whatever," he answered, seeming calm and collected. They continued bickering, and I turned around to see the Explorer pull up, and see Ark, the Kleins, Becky, Seth, and Barry pile out, and they came over to the car. We got out to meet them, and we had a little huddle on the sidewalk.

"OK, Martin may be able to help us," I said. "But we can't be so sure that Umbrella _or_ Wesker and Bio-Port haven't been here first. So we need to keep on our guard." We headed for the door, and Claire pushed it open. The place had the look and feel of a log cabin, and there was guns, bows, tree stands; just about anything a hunter could need. There was an older man, well built, but bald, wearing a flannel shirt and khaki work pants standing in a corner.

"Sorry, we're closed," he said, not bothering to turn around.

"Uncle Martin?" Claire asked. He turned around, and fixed his gaze upon Claire. 

"Claire...is that you?" he asked, more in a whisper than his husky bass voice.

"Yeah, it's me," she said. Martin ran over, and embraced Claire.

"Oh my God," he said. "You've gotten so damn big. It's been so long! How old are you now?"

"I just turned 20," she said. 

"How's your brother?" he asked.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Chris said as he walked up. A bright look came across the face of Martin Rennigher as he saw Chris.

"My God, Chris," he said, shaking his hand. "You're looking more and more like your daddy more and more every day."

"You ain't lookin' too bad yourself, Uncle Martin," he said. 

"So you gonna introduce me to your friends here?" Martin said, turning to Claire.

"Oh, yeah! This is Leon, my boyfriend," she said. "And this is Ark Thompson, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, Seth Hartford, Rott and Lily Klein, Sherry Birkin, Rebecca Chambers, and Leon's sister, Amy."

"Nice to meet you all," he said. He then turned to me, and looked at me funny.

"Leon...Kennedy?" he asked. "Is your name Kennedy?"

"Yes, sir," I answered. 

"So you're Patricia and Scott's boy," he said. "And Amy, you can be only, what, 16? How is your dad?"

"Well..." I said, feeling a new wave a pain. "He died...a while ago." I couldn't lead myself to say that he'd been killed 12 hours before trying to defend his children and wife.

"Oh, I'm so, so sorry," he said. "Scott and me, we worked in New York together, when your father was a member of Northtown precinct, but that was before you were born. He came back every now and then, always bragging on his son. The last time I saw him, about 16 years ago, he came and saw me, and he was bragging on his baby girl, he called you. But that was long, long ago. So what brings you all here?"

"Well, we need some help finding a military base around here," Claire said. "You were the first one that we thought of."

"Yeah, I had a feeling you were coming. I just got off the phone with some US marshal, said something about you coming here." Martin told us. "Fort Renard?"

"Yeah, that's the one," I said. "You know where it is?"

"Know where it is!" he shouted. "Hell, boy, I was trained there before they sent me to Korea, and I was stationed there before they sent me to 'Nam. Sure I know where it is!"

"Really?" I asked. "Can you take us there?"

"Yes, I will. And I think I just may hang around. I've got my own battle against those Bio-Port freaks myself," he said. "Come on, and follow me." He turned the lock, let us out, and closed the door behind him. He walked out to his truck, and fired it up. We separated back into our groups, and followed him out of town. The old man said he had a battle to fight. I sure wasn't going to question him.

_**Well, things are building up to a final battle. What is Martin's personal battle against Bio-Port? What will happen at Fort Renard? What, if anything, does Wesker have planned? All these and more answered in chapter 11 of As Cold Blood Runs.**_


	11. Eternal Promises

As Cold Blood Runs:

**As Cold Blood Runs:**

**Chapter 11: Eternal Promises**

_Leon:_

_A New Encounter: 5:30 Fort Renard, US Army Intelligence Base, New York State._

"Good afternoon, Commander Kennedy. I hope all is well." As I exited the car, I saw Mick Stevens standing in front of it.

"I've been better," I said, rather roughly. His face actually contorted into one of sympathy, and he removed his sunglasses, wiped his hands on his dark green fatigue pants, and looked at me.

"Yes...I've heard," he told me. "My condolences are with you and your sister."

"Thank you, sir," I replied, hoping I was addressing him correctly.

"Sir? Commander, you're my superior now," he laughed. "I may be a marshal, but legally, you're my superior."

"You don't say," was all I could manage. Everyone else got out, and Stevens greeted them all. Once he was done with that, he motioned for a small group of combat-ready soldiers to come over.

"Yes, before I start, I know I told Lieutenant Thompson I had a force of 25 men, but the Pentagon boys couldn't provide them, so I have a smaller, but more experienced, team of five," he said. There were two medium-height women, one of which I recognized as Sarah Chase. Two of the three men were Nicolas Garret and Greg Turner, whom we had previously 

"Commander, you already know Sergeant Chase, Lieutenant Garret, and Corporal Turner," he said. She came up, and shook my hand. The others just stood and saluted.

"Glad to be working with you again, sir," she told me. I smiled and nodded.

"Who are the others?" I asked.

"Meet Sergeant Jason Greene," he said, and a tall blonde man stepped forward and saluted. "He's one of the best snipers we have."

"Good, we'll put him to good use." I told Mick. "The other one?"

"Private, First Class Jessica Mason. She's a topography expert, and a pretty good shot with a rifle herself," he said. She was taller than Sarah, and black headed. She saluted, and stepped back in line.

"OK, now that you've met your team, now let's get you a place to stay. You may want to get your bags," Mick said, as he motioned for a large transport vehicle. A man nodded, and pulled the large diesel-powered van over to us.

"We have a large off-base home for you to stay on," he told us as we climbed in. "It's not much, but it's the best we could do." The van pulled away, and a few hundred feet ahead of us after we passed back through the gates, we saw an elaborate, four-story, brick house. It had large windows, a large yard, and it made the great home in Albany look like a 4 wall dirt floor cabin.

"Holy shit...this is our house?!" Chris shouted.

"Like I said..." Mick smirked. "It's not much." The van stopped in the drive, and we all climbed out. 

"Well, take a couple of hours and get acquainted, all the furniture, appliances, anything you need, is there. We'll be back at eight with the others, make sure you're in full uniform, which I'm sure you'll find in your closets. Get some rest, and we'll see you in a few," Mick said as the van pulled out of the driveway. As the van barreled down the road, headed back towards the base, Mick threw something out the van. A key.

"Holy shit, this is a damn mansion," Jill said as she admired the house.

"Like I said, work for the government and you get paid full due," Ark said. "Leon, get the key, and let's get inside." 

"Hey, I thought I was in charge?!" I asked.

"Oh, yeah," Ark said, sounding like a complete retard.

"Now...I'm getting the key, and then we'll get inside," I laughed, picking up the key to the house, and I proceded to open it up. The inside was just as elaborate as the exterior. The walls were white, with white furniture in the living room. Holy shit, there was a big-screen...a really big-screen TV.

"Damn, we're living like kings now," I said, and I headed into the large dining room. A large table, with twelve chairs, all padded, were in the room.

"Oh sweet _madre y Christo_," Carlos muttered. He sat in one of the chairs and kicked his feet up on the table. "This is sweet!"

"I'm going upstairs!" Sherry shouted, and the Kleins decided to follow. We heard their lighthearted and pleasured squeals of delight, and we knew that this could be home...for awhile. Claire came over to me and grasped my hands.

"Oh, Leon," she gasped. "This is so beautiful."

"I know," I told her. "It's so immaculate, I wonder why the government blew all this money just for us?"

"Probably because that this is a damn suicide mission," Seth said. "They think we won't make it...we'll have to prove them wrong." Becky, who had her arms wrapped around his waist, disagreed.

"Personally, I think it's so they don't have to give us cash," she said. "Trying to pay us off...without really having to do it."

"Well, for what ever reason," Barry told us. "It's a private piece of heaven. There's just one little thing missing."

"Kathy and the girls?" Chris asked.

"Yep," he said, grimacing. I guessed having his family so far away was hard for him.

"Well, I say we head upstairs and get some rest. The banquet begins at nine tonight, and we're to be on base at seven," I said. "And that's an order."

"Yeah, right," Chris said. "I think he's a little power hungry."

"Watch your mouth," Ark said. "He's your superior...and so am I."

"Great..." Chris replied. "This is just so damn great."

"Ah, get over it," his sister told him. 

"You're only saying it because you want to..." he started.

"Christopeher Daniel, don't get me started!" she shouted, her face turning beet red.

"Well, it's true!" he shouted back.

"Both of you, knock it off," I told them. "I'm tired, and I'm going to find my room. If anyone else wants to get some rest before we have to go, then go for it. If not, then keep quiet for those that do." With that said, I took off my jacket and headed upstairs.

"Sounds like a plan," Claire said, and followed. I looked back, and the rest were headed upstairs also.

_A promise made to keep_

I opened the door to the large bedroom. Like the rest of the house, everything was white. Not to say it didn't look nice, which it did, it was just...white. I opened the closet, and saw racks of uniforms...of two different sizes. 

"Kennedy..." I said, pulling out the camaflauge shirt with my name patched on it. Those were the bigger sizes. Investigating the smaller ones, I noticed the name 'Redfield' on them. Couldn't be Chris', he was taller than me. Claire? 

_Stevens, you dog,_ I thought with a grin. I hung them back up, and took off my tshirt and jeans, leaving me in my boxers and an undershirt. I laid back on the bed, and closed my eyes, and began to fall asleep. Images of Claire floated through my head, and I was deciding as to whether or not I should ask. What, you say? Just read on. But mostly, I was tired. As I was about to enter a deep sleep, I heard the door open...Claire had come into the room. She looked at me, her face red.

"Oh...I didn't mean..." she began.

"Oh, hell, get used to it," I told her as I sat up. "Take a seat...what's on your mind?" She came over and sat down beside me. 

"Well, the others have their own rooms, and I can't seem to find mine anywhere," she said.

"Check the closet," I said as I pointed towards it. She gave me a strange look, stood up, and checked the closet.

"Oh my," she said, obviously noticing what I had earlier.

"Trust me..." I said, fearing that she was angry. "I didn't have a thing to do with it. I'm sure I could stay in another room if you don't want me here."

"Not want you in here?" she laughed. "Why wouldn't I want you in here?" She came back, and sat on the bed beside me. I put an arm around her.

"Got a big night ahead of us," I told her.

"Yep," she answered. "Could be dangerous."

"It will be," I told her. "Which brings me to something else." I had snapped a decision in my head. It sounded too fast...way too fast, but I couldn't let something happen to her without saying this.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well...we've known each other for a while, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," Claire told me, unsure of where I was going.

"And we love each other, right?" I asked.

"Leon, what are you getting at?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"Well..." I said, slipping off the bed, onto a knee. "Would you make me the luckiest man in the world by becoming my wife?"

"What?" Claire asked, her face flushed and an excited look in her eyes.

"Marry me," I told her.

"Well..." she began. "Yes! Yes, I will!" I jumped up, embraced her, and picked her up off of the ground. 

"No matter what," she said as tears flowed down her face. "We'll be together forever now."

"You betcha," I told her. "You betcha."

_Chris:_

"Well, it doesn't sound like anything's going on," I said to Ark, Barry, and Carlos. "I just hear some talking."

"That sounds like him," Ark said. "He's not too good at jumping onto opportunities."

"Hey, dammit, that 'opportunity' is my sister, jackass!" I shouted.

"Jeez, he sure is uptight," Carlos muttered in his Latin accent. "Now he's even spying on her."

"I just don't like the idea of them sharing the same room," I told them. Frankly, I felt like ringing Stevens' neck personally.

"Hey, just trust them," Ark said. "Leon's not a bad guy, he's one you can trust."

"It's not him...I'm just worried about Claire," I told them as I pulled my ear from the wall...

"YES! Yes, I will!" What the hell?!

"Haha, what did I tell ya?!" I shouted as I barged from the room. "It's asskickin' time!" I ran and barged into the room, just to run into Leon and Claire as they were on the way out.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Claire shouted.

"I was about to ask you the same damn thing!" I shouted back.

"Whoa..." Leon laughed. "You actually think..."

"Yeah, I do think, and I want to know what just happened!" I shouted. God, I could kill him right now.

"He just proposed to me, Chris," Claire said.

"What?!" I asked. Now I was dumbstruck.

"Yes, he just proposed," she said. "And I accepted." Proposal? Does this mean...my sister's getting married? What's up with that?

"........." I was speechless. 

"What's going on?" we turned our heads, and Barry, Ark, and Carlos came out of the room.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." I told my sister.

"No," she said. "I'm getting married."

"Huh?" Ark was dumbstruck also. Carlos' jaw was to the floor. Barry, laughing the whole time, shook Leon's hand.

"What's so hard to understand?" she asked. By this time Becky and Jill had both come out.

"Oh, great," Leon groaned. "Not again."

"What's going on?" Jill asked. 

"It seems that my sister is getting married," I said. 

"Oh my God!" she shouted. "That's great! Congratulations!" She ran over, and she and Claire hugged each other.

"Yeah, it is," Claire replied.

"HEY!" everyone shut up, and looked and saw Seth poke his head out the door. 

"Shut up!! I'm trying to sleep!!" he shouted, and he slammed the door. We heard muttering, then silence.

"You know, he's right," Barry said. "We've got a busy evening ahead fellas." He went to his room, and Carlos, Ark, Jill, and Becky went upstairs to theirs, leaving me, Claire, and Leon.

"Well, I don't know what to say," I told them. "But I'm all for it."

"Really?" Claire asked.

"Right, just as long as I give away the bride," I joked.

"You got it," Leon said.

"Congratulations, guys, and please, try to keep it down." I headed back into my room, and closed my door. 

_Leon_

"Wow, I'm suprized he took it that well," I told Claire as we went back into the room. I plopped down on the bed, and Claire layed down beside me.

"So am I," she said. "That was just to easy." She layed an arm across my chest, and closed her eyes. 

"I can't believe this," I told her. "I'm living in a magnificant house, and I've got the most beautiful woman in the world beside me."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" she told me.

"Things are going to get bad tonight," I told her. "We gotta be ready for anything."

"I know, I know," she said. "But right now, at least we can enjoy this moment."

"Yes," I told her. "And after tonight, we have our whole lives ahead of us."

"We do," she said. "Forever..."

With a last heaved breath, Claire Redfield fell asleep. 

_**Things are changing faster and faster. But it all will sum up to one final battle...one final assault. Or will it? The end keeps drawing nearer and nearer...or will it only be the beginning of something worse? You'll have to read the next chapter of As Cold Blood Runs.**_


	12. Checkmate

****

AS COLD BLOOD RUNS

Chapter Twelve: Checkmate

__

Note: Please don't be confused, unlike the other parts, this will shift from First-to-Third person often, because I don't necessarily know what goes through Wesker's mind. This is also going to be the largest...and last chapter. Enjoy.

Before Apocalypse: 3 hours until banquet: New York, NY, HQ of Umbrella-NEO

"...and the security preparations?" Wesker asked the young security chief in his office in the magnificent new office building.

"We have a full squadron of RAID officers, sir, along with several SMS patrols, sir. We are prepared for whatever the terrorists would plan," Captain Marquez Garcia replied.

"Very good, Captain Garcia," Wesker replied. He swiveled his chair around, and removed his sunglasses.

"Captain, you are dismissed," Wesker said, wiping his sunglasses on the gray tie that complemented his gray and white three-piece Perry Ellis. He caught a glimpse of his reflection, the glimpse of his yellow catlike eyes, and felt a wave of an emotion he had refused for so long...pain, followed by angst, grief, anger, and even a little humor.

'_...and now, I control the very ba_s_tards that did this to me...'_ he thought. _' and I will make every last one of them pay. Along with that little demon in my closet, Chris Redfield. And I must finish the job with the Kennedys...oh hell, I'll kill them all...wait...maybe not me...'_ He chuckled, and put his sunglasses on. He'd need those contact lenses from R&D tonight, he couldn't last in there without explaining his sunglasses. Tonight would be one of celebration. And tonight, he would finally get rid of those little pins stuck in his ass...and maybe he would convey a message. That he was in control. He picked up the telephone receiver on his desk, and punched a key.

"Lab Department," came the answer.

"Please let me speak to Dr. Raymore," Wesker said.

"One moment," the woman said. A few seconds passed, and a husky voice came through the receiver.

"Louis Raymore," it said.

"Dr. Raymore, this is Albert," Wesker said. "Did you receive my memo?"

"Yes, sir, I just got it," Raymore said. "You're serious about releasing the Ge-3?"

"I am very serious," Wesker replied. "Is programming completed?"

"Yes, sir, I finished it this morning," Raymore answered.

"Good, I want it ready for this evening. I have a feeling some old friends are going to show up."

"Such as, sir?" Raymore asked.

"Just...a few pests from another day, doctor," Wesker answered. "Something that the Ge-3 should take care of."

"Yes, sir, it will be placed in stasis, awaiting the 'awake' command from you," Raymore replied.

"Good, doctor," Wesker said. "Make sure that it is ready for me. Because I just know that we'll have some uninvited guests tonight."

__

Leon

Black Ops

"Does anyone have a bad feeling about this?" Seth asked as the camouflage cargo van I was driving pulled into the driveway of the home of Martin Rennigher. "I mean, all this covert shit, the Bio-Port Chopper, the uniforms, all this planning...it just gives me the creeps."

"Don't worry, kiddo," Jason replied. "This is child's play."

"You're serious?" Chris asked, the slightest notion of fear in his voice.

"You betcha." he shot back. "We had more hell going after Saddam."

"The hell you talkin' about?" Chris said. "I was in the Gulf, and I didn't hear a thing about any of our boys going after Hussein!"

"Show's what you dumbass little pilots knew," Jason said. "We even got in his bedroom, close enough to blow his brains out before orders came from directly from Secretary Cheney in Washington to pull out."

"Jesus Christ," Chris muttered as he shook his head. "But the kid's right...these damn uniforms do give me the creeps," he said, tugging at the blue fabric that made up his uniform coat.

"Well, this is the only way that the boys in Intelligence could get us in," I replied, pressing the clutch and putting the old clunker in neutral. I kept the diesel engine running, and saw Martin dash out of the house, the dark blue officers uniform making him look regal and commanding in his elder age. He came up towards the van, and Chris slid open the door.

"Hey, lookin' sharp, Uncle Marty," he said, shaking Martin's hand as he took a seat on the bench next to Chris and Barry.

"Thanks, pal, you ain't looking so bad yourself," he said, adjusting the uniform cap slightly on his head.

"OK, we all set?" I said as Martin buckled his seatbelt.

"Not so fast," Jessica said, leaning forward from the furthest seat. "Can you repeat our orders real quick, I don't get it."

"Sure," I said, kicking the clunker into reverse, and pulling out the drive. "Once we're in the transport to New York City."

"You mean we aren't going in this?" Claire asked.

"Why hell no," Barry exclaimed. "Damn, I ain't the smartest rock in the bunch, but I even know that things would look suspicious if a load of NEO officers showed up in a US Army cargo van." Claire and I snickered at each other...Barry was right...he really wasn't a smart rock.

"Barry," Nick said, grasping his shoulder from behind him. "Although that is the worst mannerism I've ever heard, you are right."

"Enough of it," I said, kicking the van into first gear and heading off down the road.

"You know," Martin began, thoughtfully. "I'd never thought I'd see the day that I could finally fight back at Bio-Port."

"Whaddya mean, Marty?" Greg asked, back near Jessica.

"Well, as I told Claire, Chris, and the others," Martin said, shaking his head. "They betrayed me, and ruined my life. Now it's my turn for paybacks..."

__

Legacy of Pain:

I began my career as a sergeant in the Army...a damn good one at that. I soon rose to the rank of Commander, and I was told that I had a bright future ahead of me. I was sent to Korea, 'Nam, Panama, all of that. Based right out of Fort Renard, too. But in late 1981, I was approached by Bio-Port's VP of Internal Affairs, who would soon rise to become president himself. Frank...I believe. Yes, Frank Gisela.

"You know, our New York Branch is looking for a new chief of security,"_ he told me. He seemed slimy...evil. But I really didn't care. _

"We'd provide anything...and everything you'd ever need."_ It was a very intriguing offer, I had to admit. The pay was damn good...7 digits a year. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. Having 20-some years in the Army helped too. Basically, I was rich. I was at Bio-Port's NYC branch for 3 years, and then, I went and bought the gun shop in Crown Heights, and I bought my old 1987...well, it was a new 1987 Chevrolet Scottsdale. Soon, I was just a big, all-over celebrity like guy. But in 1989, Gisela became president, and offered me an even better job...international head of Bio-Port Security. I was rich, I tell you what. Marcy my wife, worked as a clerk at a local bank. I had the store, my life. So I took the job...but I didn't leave Crown Heights. But in 1991, Marcy and I were flown to Lansing. We bought a little apartment, and stayed there for a while. It was there that I learned of Bio-Port's true intentions. I was invited to a conference, that I really had no business being there. It was a science conference about a new biological weapon: the N-E-T Virus, an offshoot of a newly developed weapon made by Umbrella...the so-called T-Virus._

"Whoa!" Jill shouted. "You mean to tell me that T-Virus research was going on in the early nineties?"

"Yeparoo," Martin said. "Bet you didn't know that the U.S. considered launching a viral offensive on Baghdad?"

"WHAT?" Chris shouted.

"They pulled back though, fearing what Saddam would do on television over there. Anyways..."

"Dammit, and I'm just now finding out about what was really going on over there!" Chris shouted. Martin looked at him sideways, and continued with his story.

__

I, along with the ten other people in the conference, were given a set of documents...the setup of the virus, the developmental stages, and the uses in combat. I soon saw what it did, and became disgusted. I accosted Gisela about it, and announced my resignation, and even threatened to take the documents to the press if he didn't destroy the N-E-T Virus. He laughed in my face, and told me that if I left with those documents, that I would forever regret it. I left, and headed back for New York. Two weeks later, Marcy was killed in a car crash. Brand new Cavalier. Cause was severed brake lines, the parking brake cable was cut, and the throttle stuck. There was no doubt who did it. So I sold everything...the house, the classic cars, everything...except my old Chevy and the store. I bought a house in town, and worked alone in the store. Never heard a word from those bastards until December. Some fella named Wesker, said he was VP of Security Ops, came in and basically told me that if I didn't hand over the documents, he'd make Chris and Claire regret it like Gisela made Marcy suffer. I held a .357 magnum at him, and told him that if he ever gave me or the only family I had left any shit, I would personally hunt him down and blow his brains out.

"Oh my God..." Claire breathed. "That's how Aunt Marcy died?"

"Yes," Martin told her, on the verge of crying. Chris shook his head, and anger showed up on his face.

"He's already caused enough shit for me in a lifetime," Chris said. "It's his fault that we're all involved."

"Yeah, I know all of that," Martin said. "Spencer Estate, right?"

"How'd you know?" Barry asked, the slightest notion of confusion on his face.

"Trust me," he told us with a wink. "You spend your whole life dealing in Intelligence and Security, you can easily figure some things out."

"You've got a point there," I laughed as we pulled on base. I intertwined my way through on-base traffic towards the vehicle hangar, where Mick would be waiting to give the guys final orders, with a Bio-Port personnel carrier(a much newer, bigger cargo van, hopefully an automatic). I finally pulled into the motor pool, and as I parked, Mick Stevens, in his usual three-piece, walked over to the van. I rolled down the window, and he threw me a set of keys.

"You're ride is waiting, Commander," he said, smirking. "Your guys ready?"

"We're going to go over the directive again," I replied. "But other than that, we're ready to go."

"Good." He began to walk off, and then turned back towards me. "This is your game now, Leon. My guys at the office can't bail you out this time. The lives of your crew is in your hands.

Oh yeah. No fuckin' pressure.

__

Rebirth

"All right, guys," I said, gathering the team around the map of the new Umbrella-NEO banquet facility. "Sniper team one: that's Jason, Barry, and Greg; will be located in the left spotlight balcony, the first of three. Jason will be in the room itself, Barry and Greg will wait inside the door, on the staircase. Team two: that would be me, Claire, and Nicolas; will do the same, in the center of the three. Three, I'm sure you get the point, but the team will be Chris, Becky, and Sarah. Now, I want you all to notice two exits...the main door into the hall, and a fire escape behind the platform. Jessica and Ark will be at the front. I believe that Seth can hold it out with Carlos. at the fire escape. Now, there will be one of us at each end of the platform...Jill on one side, Martin on the other. Any questions?"

"What about real security?" Martin asked.

"Hehehe," I chuckled. "Thanks to our boys in Intelligence, we're the listed security personnel on hand, of course with our fake ID's."

"That's thinkin'," he said, with a high whistle.

"OK, guys, this is the real deal," I said. "Tonight, we strike."

"Wait a minute," Jessica interrupted. "In a sense, who are we?" It seems that she was inferring a nickname for the squadron.

"Well," Chris began. "Wesker has always feared what would happen if the S.T.A.R.S. would have done if they found him out, I say that we revive that fear."

"Agreed," Jill said.

"Same here," answered Barry.

"Well," I said. "I have no objections."

"But we aren't the S.T.A.R.S.!" Ark shouted. "We're the muthafuckin' Army!"

"So we add a little something," Claire said. "What about NEO? Shows that the S.T.A.R.S. won't die."

"No, not original," Jason muttered.

"Endgame," I said.

"Huh?" was the general answer.

"This all ends tonight, how about S.T.A.R.S: Endgame?" I replied.

"Like the sound of it," Sarah said.

"Me too," Nick and Greg replied together. Everyone else replied in about the same manner.

"Then it's official," I answered. "We're S.T.A.R.S: Endgame."

And it was official. We filed into the van, feeling a new sense of unity...a sense of family. The S.T.A.R.S. were reborn in the glory it was intended...not what it had become.

__

UMBRELLA-NEO HQ: 2 hours before banquet

"What did you say?" Wesker fumed over the phone at Captain Garcia.

"New report from Security," he replied. "The roster has been changed for this evening."

"Hmmmm...." Wesker whispered. "Could this be their work?"

"Who's work, sir?" Garcia replied.

"Never you mind," Wesker replied. "Keep the roster...but I want a full squad split between the front and back exits, ready to enter on my call. I want them plainclothes, and I want them to be the finest RAID officers we have."

"Yessir," Garcia replied. "I'll get on the horn to Commander Peters."

"Not that imbecile," Wesker shouted. "He blew too many missions. I want you to have Corporal Allen to call me directly."

"Yessir," Garcia answered. "Immediately." Wesker hung up the phone, and leaned back into the leather chair at his desk.

__

'So,' he thought._ 'Kennedy and Redfield think that they have outsmarted me. Fat chance.'_ He began laughing, like he had just heard the funniest joke he ever heard.

__

'Surprise, surprise,' he thought. _'Joke's on you, fellas. Tonight you will be greeted with the biggest surprise of your lives...'_

"Corporal First Class Adrian Allen, who is speaking?" came the mellow voice through the phone.

"Corporal, this is President Wesker," Wesker spoke. "I've got a job for you and your team tonight.

"I'm listening," Allen replied. "What do you need?"

"A very simple plainclothes undercover op," Wesker ordered. "It seems that our friends from the United States Government are going to be butting in tonight."

"Yessir," Allen replied. "Inside the hall?"

"No," Wesker said. "Outside in the foyer, roaming and patrolling, but staying incognito."

"Gotcha, sir," Allen told him. "I'll get our best men on it right away."

"See that you do."

__

A hundred miles from nowhere:

1.5 hours until banquet.

"Are we there yet?" Chris asked from behind me.

"No," Claire replied.

"Are we there yet?" Chris asked, trying to hold in the laughter.

"No," Claire's voice went from nervous to stern.

"Are we there..." Chris began

"NO!" Claire shouted, and the people in the van silenced themselves. Chris had gone from looking like a raving lunatic to a dog that had just received a beating from its owner.

"Jeez..." Chris whispered. 

"To answer your question," Seth said, looking up from the blueprint of the facility. "I guess we're about...what, 10-15 minutes away?"

"Right," I said, keeping a watch ahead on the road. "We'll be at the compound and in position in less than half an hour. Or at least, we should be so we don't stir up any suspicion."

"Hey, suspicion is always fun," Chris remarked.

"One more word out of you and I'll shove my size 8 so far up your ass it'll tickle your tonsils!" Claire fumed, which everyone responded to with laughter, except for Chris, who had realized that he'd been pushing buttons that didn't need to be pushed.

"OK, OK, I'm sorry," he groaned. He leaned towards Barry, and whispered something that I overheard.

"She may look like Dad, but she's definitely Mom's daughter," he laughed, sending both of them into a spew of laughter. Claire looked back, and gave them a look that could send chills down Charles Manson's spine. They shut up, and gulped, fearing the wrath of Claire Redfield.

"Remind me never to piss you off," I said as she sat back in her seat.

"Who says you could?" she asked, a little smirk on her face. I smiled, shook my head, and concentrated on the road.

"Is it the right time to say that I have a really bad feeling about this?" Seth said, buttoning up his uniform jacket.

"Trust me," Barry said, leaning over the seat where Becky, Seth, and Carlos were sitting. "I've had a bad feeling since August."

"Ain't we all," Chris said, leaning back and tipping his cap over his eyes. "Ain't we fuckin' all."

__

And so it begins...and ends.

30 minutes until banquet.

"HEY!" We stepped out of the van, and saw a higher-up from security in a red uniform.   
"Are you the team sent from Buffalo?" The others had confused looks on their faces, but I stepped forward and saluted.

"Sir, yessir. Cmdr. Joseph MacKenzie, 34th SMS unit, Buffalo, New York," I answered.

"Well, Commander," he said, signaling towards the massive building. "They're needing you inside now. Security personnel must be inside before the guests can enter."

"Yes sir," I said. "We're on our way." I signaled the team forward. We stayed in a simple formation, trying to look like disciplined security soldiers. Somehow, with these guys, discipline wasn't in the book.

"Dammit, won't you wait?!" Officer Redjacket was shouting again. I turned around, and he threw me a radio.

"Contact me on channel 19. The name's Cullet."

"Yessir," I said, continuing into the office. There were several people waiting to enter the hall as we entered, and they began applauding us like we were a group of returning war heroes. We continued on, unfazed, and I stopped them in front of the double-doors leading into the banquet hall.

"OK, there's the office entrance," I whispered. "Just inside will be the banquet hall. Remember your assignments, and Jason and Chris, I will fire first. If I miss, Chris will fire, followed by Jason. If we all miss, then the guard teams must get all civilians out alive, and we will attack Wesker directly."

"Gotcha," Chris answered. Jason nodded, and I swung open the doors into the grand banquet hall. Dammit, it was the most lavish thing I'd ever seen. A long banquet table stood at the front of the room, with seven chairs. Two were for Umbrella higher-ups, Three were for Bio-Port VP's . Then in the center, were the chairs for Charles G. Spencer, President and CEO of Umbrella, next to Wesker's. There were numerous tables scattered around, with white and red tablecloths. The serving crew was hustling and bustling, getting salad dishes on the tables and putting wine glasses next to them. They didn't seem to notice us as we filed into position, guard teams heading for the exits, Jill and Martin stepping up to their seats on the podium where the main table was, and the snipers and their guard teams heading to their respective balconies. Claire, Nicolas, and myself entered the staircase heading towards the spotlight balcony. About halfway up, I stopped them.

"OK, guys. You stay here. Anything goes wrong, get on the radio to me ASAP," I said.

"You gonna be okay?" Claire asked.

"Of course," I said, embracing her like it would be the last time. I kissed her forehead, and let go of her. Nicolas stepped up, and saluted.

"The ball's in your court, now, Commander," he said shaking my hand.

"Yep. Good luck," I said, thrusting the duffel bag over my shoulder, and I began walking up the stairs.

"Hey!" Claire shouted. I turned around, and she looked me dead in the eye.

"I love you, Leon," she said, the worry in her voice. I threw her a sideways grin, and winked.

"'Course ya do," I laughed. "Take care, guys." I continued up the staircase, finally entering the balcony. I crouched over in front of the square hole, a two foot by two foot, where the automated spotlight would shine. I took out the radio that would keep me in contact with my people, and put it on the channel where they would hear me.

"OK, guys. This is ENDGAME-Alpha 1, in position, along with Alpha Guard One. We ready?"

Chris' voice crackled. "ENDGAME Alpha-2, Alpha Guard 2 ready."

Jason's voice resonated. "Alpha-3, Guard 3 good to go."

Ark's voice followed. "ENDGAME Bravo 1 and 2, set."

Seth. "Bravo 3 and 4, ready." I heard Carlos in the background. "Yeah, _amigo!_"

Jill. "ENDGAME Echo-1 and Echo 2 in position, ready for action."

"OK," I answered. "Prepare your weapons, Bravo and Echo, and keep them concealed to the point that the populace won't be frightened, but that you will have them at ready." I heard the sounds of several Ingram M-11 automatic weapons being drawn, and rounds being chambered.

"Alpha, proceed with preparation." I couldn't hear the sound of the Guard teams readying theirs, but I heard Chris and Jason, along with myself, withdrawing high-powered PSG-11XA .58 ca. sniper rifles, and chambering rounds of their own.

"Operation: ENDGAME commences at 18:45 hours," I said over the radio, and I clicked it off. I pulled the other one, the Bio-Port issue out, and contacted Cullet.

"Commander Cullet," I said. "Security is in place. Begin issuing the guests in."

"Good work, Lieutenant. That was quick." I glanced down, and saw the guests enter, and fill the numerous tables. They were greeted by the kitchen crew, and were served wine and Caesar salads. Then, the lights dimmed, and the spotlights turned on. Then, the guests of 'honor' entered. The VP's entered, followed by Spencer. Once they were seated. All but the center spotlight turned off, and Albert Wesker, in a gray and white three-piece entered. But what was spooky was his eyes...they were normal. Not the yellowish-cat eyes, but dark blue eyes. I saw a little light flash to my left, and to my right. I flashed my own light. The snipers were ready. Wesker stood at a podium below the main platform, and checked a mike as the guests ate dinner. The lights came on, and the spotlights went out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would personally like to thank you for coming," he said, putting on his best show of respect and humbleness. " I would also like to welcome you to a new age...a new age where sick children in the poorest areas of the world will not suffer of AIDS and cancers; a new age where the American people will not be forced to retreat to Canada for prescriptions. A new age in history! At a ceremony this morning, President Spencer and I signed for the merger of our two companies. No longer am I President of Bio-Port...now I'm President of the greatest pharmaceutical company ever seen...Umbrella-NEO! " The spotlights turned on, highlighting a banner with the Umbrella-NEO logo...the Red and White Umbrella logo swirled like the Bio-Port vortex. Above it, it said UMBRELLA-NEO. Underneath, was the funniest thing I'd ever seen.

'We're gonna save the World.' It almost sent me laughing wickedly. But instead I raised my rifle, and flashed the light again, answered by the others. I looked through the scope, and zoomed in on his head...

right between his eyes...

I released the safety...

I tensed the trigger...

BLLLAAAM!

The shot echoed, and I heard the screams of people as they ducked under tables, but right then and there, I really didn't care. I had hit Wesker...and he fell. I saw no blood, but I jumped up and started whooping. But then, he stood up. The bullet spit out of his forehead, and the muscles and skin repaired themselves.

BLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAM! Chris' rifle fired, and Wesker jumped at least fifteen feet in the air to avoid the bullet. 

BLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAM! Jason fired, and Wesker caught the bullet.

"DAMMIT!" I shouted, and Claire's head poked through.

"What do we do?" she asked.

"Wait 'till the others get the guests out," I said. "Then we'll head-on attack him." I looked down, and saw that the others were issuing the guests out. Wesker looked like he expected it. He threw off his jacket and tie, unbuttoned about three buttons on his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves. The others threw off their coats and hats, drew their pistols, and ran to meet him. I grabbed my M-11 and jumped out of the balcony. I rolled across the floor, and jumped up. Chris, Jason, and their teams rushed out, followed by Claire and Nick. I stepped up to Wesker, and stared him down. He didn't scare me. 

"It's time to pay, Albert," I said. "I will have revenge."

"Oh, really," he laughed. 

"Yes!" Seth shouted, stepping up next to me, followed by Barry, Chris, and Jill. Martin stepped up next to me, and Wesker looked surprised. 

"You..." he breathed. He picked Martin up, and began choking him. His face turned blue.

"NO!" Claire cried, running at Wesker with her pistol drawn. Wesker kicked her out of the way, and snapped Martin's neck. He threw him across the room with ease. Claire burst into tears, and ran over to him.

"Where's Allen...?" he said, looking around. Ark and Jessica came from out the front.

"Taken care of!" Ark shouted.

"How nice..." Wesker said. He pulled a remote out of his pocket.

"Seth," he said. "What do you truly know about your past?"

"What do you care!?" Seth spat at him.

"Because I know the truth."

__

The truth is out there

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

"You were adopted by your mother's husband, right?"

"Yeah...what are you getting at?"

"Well, what was his last name?"

"Hartford."

"Well, would you believe that he really is a blood relative of yours?" Wesker asked, an eyebrow raised. Seth was troubled, and confused.

"What?" he asked.

"Your real father was his younger half-brother. He was a bright one...a world-renowned scientists. Came up with many useful products," Wesker said.

"Excuse me?" 

"Oh, yes. I believe his name was....Birkin?"

"WHAT?!" Seth asked, on the verge of tears.

"Yep. William Birkin. Had an affair with your mother before he married Annette. He refused to believe that you were his son. Do you know why?"

"I'll rip your liver out..." Seth growled, getting into an attack stance.

"You were born with Down's Syndrome. William refused to believe that any offspring of his would be born genetically defunct. He disowned you. Finally, six months after you were born, your mother married a security guard, Daniel Steven Hartford. He adopted you, and raised you as his own."

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr..." Seth growled, preparing to leap. "LIES!"

"Oh now. I'm not done yet. On your first birthday, William developed a special serum to destroy the extra copy of Chromosome 21. It was developed from the base virus, called the Mother Virus. He called it Genesis Alpha. You were injected, and within a week, you were cured. You became intelligent...almost more so than William. You also grew like crazy, but it wasn't out of control. I believe you were...6'3, 220lb? Captain of the football team."

"Seth, don't listen to him," Becky said, holding his arm.

"She doesn't know...but let me continue. On your seventeenth birthday...a year ago, William realized what he had injected you with. Genesis Alpha would lead to the G-enesis serum. So he killed your father, and took you to Raccoon City, at the Spencer Estate. He tested...and tested...and tested. Finally he infused G-enesis into you. But with the S.T.A.R.S. closing in, he had you moved to Lebannon. But he died before you could ever finish."

"No...." Seth said.

"How many were injected with G-enesis?" Wesker asked.

"Only me..." he replied.

"Wrong. There are three. You, of course, are known as Ge-1."

"What are you saying?" Seth asked.

"Well, would you believe me if I said that I am Ge-2?"

Seth was silent.

"And for number three..." Wesker pressed a button on the remote, and the giant banner rose. A tank was there. It shook...and burst. In it's place stood the most horrifying thing I'd ever seen. It was Seth's height and weight...but it's skin was a translucent blue. Large black tubes rose out of it's shoulders, and attached to it's back. Smaller ones appeared on it's arms. It had no shirt, instead it was in baggy black pants and black combat boots. It had a fingerless black glove on it's right hand, but it's left one was worse. Where its fingers should be, were 3 foot long claws of steel. It was bald, and its eyes were terrible...pure black. It's mouth was covered by a metal plate, attached to a black band that encompassed the lower portion of his head.

"Meet your brother," Wesker said. "G-enesis-3." The G-enesis rushed at us, and we jumped out of the way.

"You guys take care of Wesker," Seth said. "I'll take G-enesis." Becky began to cry.

"No," she bawled. Seth put his hands on her shoulders.

"Listen," he began. "I'm the only one who has a chance against this thing." He removed his shirt, and handed Becky something. A picture.

"Now, take care of Wesker!" he shouted, and went face to face with G-enesis.

__

Leon:

"Now I finish the job," Wesker said, rising to meet me.

"No," I replied. "The ball's in my court." I swung at Wesker, somehow my raw anger more powerful than his viral injection. He kneeled down, and looked at me. I kicked him in the face, and sent him reeling back. Chris ran up with his gun, but I held him back.

"No," I said. "He's mine." Chris nodded, for once understanding me. Wesker stood up, and looked at me. Blood trickled out of his mouth.

"Obviously I underestimated you," he said, leaping at me. He speared me to the ground, and punched me in the mouth. I rose my knee, and jabbed him right in the balls. I slid out from under him, and prepared myself for his next attack.

__

Seth:

I was screwed. Plain and simple. The creature charged at me, and thrust its claws at me. I leapt out of the way, but one scraped my side. I did a jump kick, and flattened it to the ground. It stood up, its soulless black eyes piercing me. It swung its fist, and caught my mouth. I lost my footing, and fell.

"OK, you sonofabitch," I said. I grabbed its hand, and swung him right into a rack of folding chairs. It roared in pain, and stood up, ready for more. It charged me again, and felt its claws surge into my side. I fell and clutched my side. Becky screamed from somewhere far off, I didn't know where. I stood up, dizzied. I couldn't heal myself...I didn't have the energy. _Just have to ride it out, _I thought. I kicked the beast in the jaw, and G-enesis 3 fell to the ground. I ran over to a metal frame, and pulled off the biggest bar I could find. G-enesis was beginning to feel tired, too. Time to take advantage. I was going to kill it...quick.

"Come and get it..." I beckoned. It ran over, charging with those claws. I jumped over its head, onto its back, and caught the pipe between the two large tubes on it's back.

"Nightie-night, " I said, pulling the pipe towards me, dislodging the tubes. It fell and roared with pain as its blood spilled out. I stood, towering over its crying form. Soon, the cries softened, and it died. I stood for a couple more seconds...

__

Hello darkness, my old friend.

I collapsed.

__

Leon:

"All right," I said, rushing at Wesker with full speed. "You're mine." I tackled him, and started beating his face. I didn't notice, but tears fell as I pounded. His eyes look surprised, and his head fell into unconsciousness. I continued beating him, until Chris pulled me off.

"He's out cold, Leon," he told me.

"How the hell?" I asked. I had knocked the shit out of him. But I would finish the job. I looked over towards Seth, and saw him standing over the creature. It was dead, and Seth himself collapsed.

"Chris, Barry, Ark. Get him back to the van." They nodded, and picked him up. Becky trailed, in tears.

"Someone get me my bag," I said, and Carlos showed up with it. I was prepared. I took out a large block of Comp. B explosive, and a detonator. 

"Get everyone out." They began to run, and I set the bomb. I looked over, and saw Claire mourning over her uncle. She wasn't going to leave.

"CLAIRE!" I shouted. "Get out! This place is gonna blow!"

She looked up at me, with tearful eyes. She picked up her uncle's body, and ran. I turned back to Wesker as I turned on the timer.

"Sleep tight, you bastard." I kicked him a couple of times. I then broke in a dead run towards the exit. I rushed through the office, seeing the guests in fear.

"GET OUT, NOW!" I shouted. They were more than happy to oblige. I made sure that everyone was out. But for some reason, Spencer stayed.

"What are you doing?" I shouted.

"I'm going to pay for the evil I caused." He turned, and entered the banquet hall. I shrugged, and ran out. No reason to risk myself for a murderer. I left the building, and ran towards the van. Chris was behind the wheel, and pulled up to meet me.

"Need a ride?" he joked. I hopped in the back, and he took off. We sped off down past the gates, but Chris stopped right outside. He was silent as the building erupted in flames. It burned. Gloriously, it burned.

"It's over..." he said. We sped off down the highway.

**__**

Note: Sorry for the wait, let's just say computer trouble. Please watch for the epilogue in a day or two, to truly see if it will end...


	13. EPILOGUE: Life Goes On

****

AS COLD BLOOD RUNS

EPILOGUE: Life Goes On

__

Leon:

January 9, 2000. Two years after.

Two years have passed. It's amazing how much things have changed. Some good, some bad. But all of it is change. Why don't I tell you what has been going on. Stevens' men left that day in January and returned to the fort. Sarah was sent to Kosovo a year ago to serve as a driver in a NATO supply convoy. The convoy was attacked, and Sarah was killed in action. Greg moved to California, and is currently serving in San Diego. We hear from him every now and then. Nicolas returned to his Wisconsin home, and recently retired from the Army. He's now a machinist in a factory. Jason, as far as we know, is still alive. We haven't heard much from him. Jessica moved to Oregon, where she is working as an RN. She sends a letter now and then, and we always get a card during the holidays.

Claire and I were married on March 19, 1999. It was a nice ceremony, just a small one. Family and friends. Nothing spectacular. We moved out of the house near Fort Renard and into a smaller one in Valin Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Chris, Becky, and Jill moved in with us. Seth was sent to a hospital after the battle, and was released two weeks later. He also stayed with us for a while. He and Sherry grew extremely close, as a brother and sister would. At first, she didn't take the news well, but she grew accustomed to it. Soon after, he received a call from an aunt in Michigan. He rode out on the brand new Harley he just bought, and left. Poor Becky, she was moping around for weeks. Always jumping when the phone rang, and sometimes you could hear her softened sobs during the night. He sent a letter to her, trying to explain that he needed to find out who he really was. That just hurt her even more. Finally Jill convinced her to take the next bus to Red Springs and find him. From what we know, she did. He's been keeping in constant contact with Sherry; always sending her money, letters, and even once, he sent a video tape with a recorded message for her. 

About two months ago, Chris finally flipped. Something sent him off, and he left. We haven't heard from him since. Jill left shortly after, hoping to find him. She calls every now and then, letting Claire know if she's found something.

Ark Thompson retired from the Department of Internal Affairs, and got a job as a lieutenant in the local precinct. He moved across the street from Claire and I. Rott and Lily Klein were sent back to Britain, reunited with their grandparents. Ark's always talking to them, and he even flies to Hampshire every now and then to see them. So, that left Claire, Sherry, and me. I'm working as a captain at the same precinct as Ark. Trust me, it's a desk job, but with my lifelong friend, it's never boring. Claire went to a local community college and got a business degree. She moved her uncle's equipment from his gun shop in New York, and has reopened it in Valin Heights. But lately, she hasn't been working. She's on maternity leave after giving birth to our son, Martin Scott. He's six weeks old. And in fact, we're trying to adopt Sherry. It's a fight we're winning, as long as her aunt in California gives consent. And as I finish writing this, I look out the window at the golden sun, setting to the West. I remember the risks I've taken, the danger I've been in, and the things I've seen. But what would have happened if I hadn't been hired by Raccoon City? Would I have ever met Claire? Or Sherry? I've seen horrible things, but in the end, would I really trade them. I hear soft cries to my left. Martin is awake. Sorry, duty calls.

****

And so it ends. It took me six months to write this the first drafts to now, and I am pleased with the work I've done. Thanks to chicky tifa for her continued support, and to Jake Lindermann, who inspired me to take this in another direction. This is dedicated to my uncle who passed on while I was working on this, may he rest in peace. I'm not sure about where I'm going to go next with this, or if I'll go anywhere at all. Thanks to all those who read and reviewed, and until I come up with something else, see ya later.

(Updated 9/9/01: Christ, I had to update the damn epilogue!!!** I cleared up a discrepancy between this and the sequel, so please don't ask. Thanks to everyone's support!)**


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